Tejasvi Surya confronts angry depositors who sought clarity on bank scam
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Bengaluru South Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya and Basavangudi MLA Ravi Subramanya found themselves embroiled in a heated confrontation with aggrieved depositors of the Sri Guru Raghavendra Co-operative (SGRC) Bank during what was supposed to be a discussion on the bank's revival.
According to The News Minute, the incident, which occurred on Saturday, April 13, unfolded in a dramatic manner, captured on videos that soon went viral, exposing the growing frustrations of over 20,000 depositors impacted by the alleged Rs 1,000 crore scam.
The meeting, dubbed "Sahakara Samagama," was anticipated by depositors as an opportunity to engage with their elected representatives about the dire situation facing the bank. However, their hopes were dashed when it became evident that the politicians were leveraging the gathering for their own election campaign purposes.
As tensions simmered, Ravi Subramanya's late arrival and apparent evasion of questions regarding the bank's revival plan further fuelled the discontent among the depositors, who had been promised clarity on the issue during his previous election campaign.
The atmosphere turned increasingly hostile as depositors sought answers but were met with dismissive responses and accusations from the legislators and their supporters. The situation escalated to a point where the meeting was abruptly declared an "election meeting," effectively shutting down any avenue for grievances to be aired. Verbal altercations ensued, culminating in police intervention to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
The arrival of Tejasvi Surya only added fuel to the fire, as his attempts to address the crowd were met with scepticism and frustration. Many depositors, including senior citizens, were reportedly coerced out of the venue by Surya's supporters, leaving their questions unanswered and their grievances unaddressed. Surya's purported claims of championing the depositors' cause, both in court and in parliament, were met with incredulity in light of the events unfolding before them.
The Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging not only mistreatment of depositors but also assault on election officials who were present to document the incident. The gravity of the situation is underscored by the ongoing investigations by multiple agencies, including the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Criminal Investigation Department, and the Enforcement Directorate.
The Enforcement Directorate's findings paint a damning picture of systemic malpractice within the bank, with officers and employees accused of siphoning off funds through fraudulent means. The revelation that over 2,000 loans amounting to Rs 1,544 crore lacked proper documentation further deepened the crisis, casting doubt on the bank's financial integrity.
The Reserve Bank of India's imposition of restrictions on the bank, including a cap on withdrawals and a prohibition on issuing fresh loans without prior approval, reflects the severity of the situation. Despite these measures, the plight of the depositors remains unresolved, with many still grappling with the uncertainty of recovering their hard-earned savings.
