Bengaluru, Jan 14: Assuring depositors that their money was "100 per cent safe" with the bank, Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank Chairman K Ramakrishna in Bengaluru on Monday said 62 loans had locked up Rs 300 crore of deposit.
"Your money is 100 per cent safe with Sri Guru Raghavendra Sahakara Bank. It's my responsibility," Ramakrishna said at Sri Guru Narasimha Kalyanamandira auditorium, to assure depositors.
He was addressing angry customers of the bank at a public hearing. Due to the 62 dud loans, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had restricted the lender from executing business, Ramakrishna said amid shouting by depositors. The RBI has limited withdrawals by depositors to Rs 35,000.
"The bank is saying I can't withdraw more than Rs 35,000. In case of our fixed deposit maturing, we will have to renew it as we can't encash it, " said Nagaraj M, 49, who has been dealing with the bank for the past six years.
To assuage customers, the call to an assistant commissioner of police by Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya -- not present -- was relayed on loudspeaker live and the MP claimed that he had spoken to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to help the customers.
Ramakrishna said he would meet customers again on January 19 with all the details and numbers. Dramatic scenes and pandemonium ruled the auditorium before his arrival. Thousands of bank customers threatened to go en masse to the police station and file a case against Ramakrishna.
As he addressed the gathering in Kannada, hundreds of depositors shouted back at him seeking clarifications. At the auditorium, thousands of depositors earlier demanded the bank chairman's presence to clarify the matter.
The lender had invited depositors to the auditorium at 6 p.m. to update them on the bank's status, following a RBI directive restricting the bank from doing business with immediate effect.
"We want the bank's directors here," shouted a depositor from the stage. A handful of policemen were trying to control the crowd and bring order to the assembly. Many elderly and retired persons had arrived to know the fate of their savings. Several women were also present at the meeting.
"It was a good bank with only 0.5 per cent NPAs. Now we can't trust any bank. See what happened with the PMC Bank," said another customer.
Shankar Sharma, 38, an employee of a private company, said majority of depositors were senior citizens and retirees. "I don't have an account with the bank, but my mother, uncle, aunt have deposited money in it. I came for them, " said Sharma. He said many of the bank's 35,000 clientele deposited more than Rs 5 lakh, which had total deposits of Rs 1,600 crore. The bank started operations in 1999.
Ramakrishna was escorted away to safety by the police after his speech even as the depositors were screaming and agitating for justice.
Comments
Dear Abdulraheem Uchil,
Hope these messages, will contribute you a major change in your life as a TRUE MUSLIM.
At least now you have to change yourself for sake of your own.
All community people will love you, if you truly learn and change.
Allau is Gafoor Al Raheem. He accepts sincere apologies and Tauba
I really respect for the word what he said is
About the interest being Muslim !!!
Dear brother,
You should now think how many people in your own community disagree with your principles.
Just for materialistic benefits you are compromising with teachings of Great religion where you borned with.
This world is not permanent. You and we are here to prepare in this life for the next permanent life.
Here we are supposed to face all type of difficulties to enables to lead the next life comfortably.
Join other your fellow community members. Live with them.
don't earn their enmity.
May Allah forgive us and you.
Dear brother,
You should now think how many people in your own community disagree with your principles.
Just for materialistic benefits you are compromising with teachings of Great religion where you borned with.
This world is not permanent. You and we are here to prepare in this life for the next permanent life.
Here we are supposed to face all type of difficulties to enables to lead the next life comfortably.
Join other your fellow community members. Live with them.
don't earn their enmity.
May Allah forgive us and you.
Dear Mr Rahim,
Congrats on winning the law suit.
In my opinion, you dont have to listen to the negative comments, especially to that of you receive from bearies. It doesn't matter which political party you belong to, as long as you do good service to the society.
They advise you on how to be 'true muslim'. 'True muslim' tag is not 'universal'. Till today nobody can unambiguously/univocally/indisputably define 'true muslim/islam'. We have 100s of parties in Islam. Each party considers themselves as 'true muslims'. This confusion will never ever be cleared until end of this world. Even terrorist claim they are 'true muslims'.
So, please continue your good works sir. By good works I mean moral/ethical and socially beneficial works, which are independent of any religion. Good is good. Bad is bad. No need any religious tags/support for it.
Thanks for valuable suggestions,(positive and negative comments )
What a joke Rahim!!! From which jungle these so called politician are coming from... Redicolous
Only in front of Media he is telling that he is not accepting interest. The real matter is entirely different. If he is a true Muslim he never join facist party like BJP. If he take interest or leave interest what is the difference....??? for him.
Dear Raheem Bhai,
If you are a true muslim then you should not accept even 50,000/ rupees . Because it is not that your hard earned money. Being a true muslim atleast you should donate this money to some charitable organization such as Old home , disabled children center or orphanage , then only you can say you are a true muslim.
Ra(hi)m Uchila, you cannot be a true muslim by not accepting interest, you have to learn and practice Islam to be come Muslim.
example for the man kind, best of rahim uchila \Being a ‘true Muslim’ I cannot accept interest,” he said."
By the way, what was the actual allegation? Can you please publish that defamatory article here ? :p
Rahim uchil shirt color and pose super
Just avoiding interest will not make a person true Muslim. A Muslim has to set example by practicing all teachings of Islam in life, so that even Non-Muslim be attracted.
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