Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Jan 20: The merger of Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda and Dena bank has set stage for political battle between BJP and Congress in the district, in the backdrop of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Vijaya Bank is an institution that brought pride to the Bunt community as it was started in 1931 by one of the prominent Bunt community leader Attavara Balakrishna Shetty. However, Central government’s move to merge Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda and Dena Bank which is under loss has caused commotion in the coastal district. With both parties indulging in blame game, the issue is being used as a trump card to woo Bunt voters.
District Congress Committee has been frequently protesting against Central government and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel for allowing bank merger. Congress in its protests is alleging Nalin Kumar Kateel as incapable MP for failing to save one of the prestigious institutions that was started in the district.
On the other hand MP Nalin Kumar Kateel has come out with a statement that bank merger was a brain child of UPA government and also blamed minister and president of finance committee Veerappa Moily for enabling smooth passage for the same.
Moily lashed back at Kateel for spreading false rumours without understanding the truth and said his act was not appropriate for that of an MP.
Demanding an apology, Veerappa Moily in a letter to Kateel said, “You have the name ‘Kateel’ attached to your name. Remember that this is the name of a holy land. By spreading false charges, you yourself are maligning your own name. In spite of being an MP, without reading reports like an illiterate you have put allegations against me.”
During its initial days, Vijaya Bank was under loss for the first two years, and then it was consistently under profit till date. At present Vijaya Bank is under profit of Rs 200 crore but is going to merge with a bank which is under loss of Rs 2,000 crore and this has become the reason for agitation for the coastal people.
With Congress using the merger as a strong weapon, only time will tell if the party will succeed in wooing the Bunt community and hence gain an upper hand in the elections.