Kaushik Mukherjee, a Bengaluru-based tech entrepreneur, has announced plans to relocate his company’s office to Pune within six months, citing ongoing “language nonsense” in Karnataka as the reason.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mukherjee wrote, “If this language nonsense is to continue, I do not want my non-Kannada speaking staff to be the next ‘victim’.” He added that the move followed concerns raised by his employees, which he agreed with.

The controversy stems from a recent incident at an SBI branch in Bengaluru’s Chandapura area, where a manager refused to speak in Kannada with a customer, insisting, “This is India, I’ll speak Hindi, not Kannada.” The viral video of the encounter sparked outrage among Kannada activists and political leaders.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya responded, calling the manager’s behaviour “not acceptable” and reiterated his demand that public-facing roles in Karnataka prioritize Kannada-speaking staff. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also condemned the incident and urged the Union Finance Ministry to mandate cultural sensitivity training for bank employees.

Following backlash, the manager was transferred and both he and the bank issued public apologies. The Kannada Development Authority (KDA) noted a rising trend of non-Kannadigas in bank front offices, which, they say, alienates local citizens. RBI norms require banks to offer services in English, Hindi, and the regional language.

Mukherjee’s decision has reignited debate on linguistic integration versus inclusivity in cosmopolitan workplaces.