Kerala: The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) found itself at the center of controversy after its conference in Alappuzha paid homage to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf alongside 142 other prominent personalities who died between 2022 and 2024. This incident sparked a backlash, culminating in a march by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to the conference venue, branding the event as "anti-national."
The conference, held on July 27, faced immediate scrutiny when it was revealed that Musharraf's name had been included by mistake. A representative from the union explained that the error occurred while compiling a list of deceased world leaders from Google.
“It was a mistake that happened while preparing the list. There was no discussion and deliberation involved in deciding the names. While some of our ex-employees were added to the list through consensus, the names of most others, including world leaders, were taken from Google. Pervez Musharraf’s name too was added like that,” the source explained.
The union clarified that once they noticed Musharraf’s name, they struck it from the list and did not pay homage to him. “We sent the printed document as a book to our branches to correct mistakes and make additions. One of our branches noticed this and alerted us. We immediately erased his name using a pen from all the other books that were supposed to be circulated to the delegates who attended the conference. We mentioned this mistake during the conference and skipped his name,” the source added.
Despite this clarification, the National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW), a BJP-affiliated union, condemned the incident, calling it a reflection of the “anti-national character of the Bank of India Staff Union Kerala” and alleging that it was done intentionally.
In their press release, the NOBW stated, “We believe this was intentional as July 26 is observed all over India as Kargil Vijay Divas. Remembering the mastermind of the Kargil infiltration on the very next day after Kargil Vijay Divas is an insult to thousands of members of our armed forces who sweat their blood to safeguard our nation. It's also an insult to the large number of ex-servicemen, some of whom even participated in the Kargil War and who are currently employed in the banking sector.”
The incident has been widely covered by right-wing media outlets, and criticism has erupted on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
As the controversy continues to unfold, the AIBEA's explanation and the strong reactions from various quarters highlight the sensitive nature of national sentiment and the repercussions of administrative errors in such contexts.