‘Affinity of coastal people for bank ignored’

Members of like-minded organisations observed a ‘Black Day’ in front of Vijaya Bank (now Bank of Baroda) Office on Light House Hill Road, near Ambedkar Circle in Mangaluru on Monday, against the merger of the bank with Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank.

Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) President Muneer Katipalla said; “ We had called upon people to observe April 1 as a ‘Black Day’ against the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with the Bank of Baroda.”

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not respecting the sentiments of the people of the coastal region who have a close affinity with Vijaya Bank.

Attavar A B Shetty and Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty from Mangaluru had worked hard for the growth of Vijaya Bank. “Without considering the sentiments of the people, the bank had been merged. The name of the Vijaya Bank ceases to exist from Monday.”

‘Vijaya Bank Ulisi Horata Samithi’ President Dinesh Hegde Ulepady accused the Congress of staging a protest against the merger of Vijaya Bank for political gains.

“Neither BJP nor Congress made attempts to save Vijaya Bank. During a programme organised by the Samithi to garner support for the cause, leaders of both political parties had promised to take a delegation to the Centre to impress upon the government to drop the merger proposal. Unfortunately, the promise was not fulfilled,” he added.

“It is not possible to save Vijaya Bank through legal recourse. The only option is that the new government, formed after the elections, can withdraw the merger proposal by placing it before Parliament,” he said.

He accused BJP and Congress of failing to keep the promises on saving Vijaya Bank in their election manifestoes.

The placards held by the protesters alleged that MP for Dakshina Kannada Nalin Kumar Kateel had failed to convince the government and prevent the merger. The placards read; “Vijaya Bank became part of Gujarath, we lost our pride...” and “The dream of A B Shetty and Mulki Sunder Ram Shetty is destroyed by Modi government”.