New Delhi: Amid the simmering debate over the language politics in Tamil Nadu, a retired doctor from Ariyalur district's Gangaikondacholapuram has alleged that he and an accompanying engineer were treated disrespectfully and denied a loan by the manager of an Indian Overseas Bank branch, for not knowing the Hindi language.
As per reports, it has been revealed that the accused manager has been transferred with immediate effect, to a regional office in Trichy district.
Dr C Balasubramanian said he and a friend had approached the Indian Overseas Bank branch in Gangaikondacholapuram for availing a loan for construction-related work. However, the Manager of the branch, who was not a native of Tamil Nadu is said to have dealt with the senior citizen and his accomplice for over 10 minutes without even asking them to sit.
On seeing the loan application documents, the manager is said to have rejected them on the grounds that it was out of his jurisdiction, thus prompting the senior citizen to show the documents, records and explain.
Balasubramanian alleged that when the records were shown and they were conversing in English, the manager had asked him if he knew Hindi.
"We were having a conversation in English and he asked if we knew Hindi (in English) and added that there was a language problem. I told him that I knew English and Tamil and assured that I would explain everything in English. That’s when he flatly rejected the loan application," Balasubramanian stated.
"He could have rejected the loan for any valid reason, but the way he said, it was not right. He asserted that he was from Maharashtra and this isn’t the right way to interact with the public. We didn’t like the way he behaved," the retired Doctor added while showing his loan application documents.
The senior citizen said that he felt hurt as the manner in which the manager had behaved, was inappropriate and saddening because the loan was not rejected on any technical grounds or under a valid reason.
