'Why is she here?': Bank employee faces backlash for not speaking Kannada, WATCH viral video

Amidst the ongoing debate over the use of local languages ​​in public services, a video of a Canara Bank employee in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, allegedly unable to communicate with a customer in Kannada has gone viral.

The video, which appears to have been filmed by the customer, shows a confrontation between a Kannada-speaking woman and a bank official over her inability to help in the local language.

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July 4, 2025

Here's what you need to know

The woman in the video claims she does not know English and questions the Malayalam-speaking staff at the bank.

“If she does not understand Kannada, why is she here?” the customer can be heard asking in the video, Hindustan Times reported.

The manager is seen speaking in Malayalam to another officer, while the customer keeps asking for an explanation about the money taken from her account without any warning.

“She was not being friendly with me. When I tried to ask, she started making strange faces,” the woman said.

The bank official who intervened and tried to calm the situation down said, "You were not even friendly," HT reported.

Netizens' reaction 

As the video went viral on social media, users shared conflicting views. While some stood by the customer and supported her demand, others accused her of doing all this to garner attention online.

"What do you want, information or a viral video?" said one user.

"Someone is already helping her in Kannada. So what's the problem?" said another.

"But someone is helping her and speaking in Kannada and giving her the right information.... What do you want information for or creating a fuss and making a problem out of nothing??? The goal is not to do banking, but to make a video," the user wrote.

In contrast, several users supported the woman but questioned the bank's services, its recruitment process.

“As customers, we expect to be served with respect and in a language that is convenient for us. After all, it is our money that runs the bank. Public sector banks like Canara Bank have been nationalised to serve all citizens, not just a few,” opined a netizen.

“I support Kannadigas,” wrote another.

“Why aren’t locals being given jobs?” questioned a user.

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