Vijaya Bank is Our Pride, We need to Retain it – Ivan D’Souza During Hunger Strike
Mangaluru: A day-long hunger strike was organized by MLC Ivan D’Souza along with the District Youth Congress against the Modi Government for the amalgamation of Vijaya bank with Bank of Baroda, at Gandhi Park here on January 8.
MLC Ivan D’Souza along with the protesters showered flower petals on the portrait of the founder of Vijay Bank A B Shetty.
Addressing the protesters District Youth Congress President Mithun Rai said, “Today we are here to support the hunger strike organized by MLC Ivan D’Souza. The undivided District has given the banking sector to the Country and Syndicate Bank, Canara Bank, Vijaya Bank and Corporation banks have brought name and fame in the international level. The Vijaya Bank was founded by A B Shetty and inaugurated in 1931. Today Vijaya Bank has given employment for more than 10,000 families and the bank has gained Rs 727 crore profit in the year 2017-18. But the Central government led by Modi has merged this bank with the Bank of Baroda which is running on a loss of Rs 3102 crore. To help the corporate world that is facing loss, Narendra Modi has merged Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda.”
Mithun Rai further said, “Let the Modi government merge the Bank of Baroda with the Vijaya Bank. We have an MP in our district who has not uttered a word to retain the Vijaya Bank. Here, we are not fighting for our political gain, we want all the elected representatives to join hands to retain the Vijaya Bank. This bank is not mine or yours, this is our bank and this Vijaya bank is our pride. Narendra Modi is trying to help Gujarati entrepreneurs who are facing a financial crisis by merging Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda. We request the Prime Minister to merge the Bank of Baroda with Vijaya Bank so that the name of Vijaya bank will be retained. We should continue our protest till we retain our Vijaya Bank. In this regard, I request the people of DK to join hands for a successful Mangaluru Bandh on December 9. On January 10 we will stage a protest in front of the Vijaya Bank.”
Founder President of Retired Vijaya Bank Officers Union, Satyodaya Hegde speaking on the occasion said, “It is very sad to see the Central government led by PM Narendra Modi merging Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda which is facing loss. We have seen losing banks being merged with the profitable banks but this is the first time I am seeing a profitable bank being merged with the losing bank. I do not know the vested interest behind merging Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda. Today I read in a newspaper, a Congress party member who had jumped to another party when he did not get the ticket to contest in MLC elections has given an immature statement saying that the Congress was responsible for the merging of Vijaya Bank. The Congress is not responsible for all this, in 1975 on the birthday of Indira Gandhi Vijay Bank opened 19 branches. BJP district Spokesperson should ask with his political Guru Janardhan Poojary and correct himself. In the undivided district, there are 13 elected representatives who never thought of holding a protest against the merging of Vijaya Bank. This bank has given employment to more than 10,000 families. But why have the elected representatives’ maintained silence? This is a grave injustice,” he said.
Satyodaya Hegde further said, “I urge the elected representatives to work towards retaining our Vijaya Bank. Our prime minister does not open his mouth since he is helping his friends who have fled the country by obtaining a huge loan from the banks. I also request the organizers to include Mulky Sundaram Shetty’s photo during this protest because Sundaram Shetty has worked hard and built Vijaya Bank step by step after A B Shetty. There is also an allegation that MLC Ivan D’Souza is responsible for stopping the naming of Light House Hill Road to Mulky Sundaram Shetty Road which is far from the truth. Sundaram Shetty had great respect for Catholics and if he was alive he would not have allowed renaming that road in his name.”
MLC Ivan D’Souza said, “Today we are protesting against the merging of Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda. This is a bad culture of merging a profitable bank with a bank running on loss. There is a conspiracy behind this, Vijaya Bank is running with a profit of Rs 727 crore in the year 2017-18 and in the whole country, only two banks are running on profit. Why has the government merged Vijaya Bank with the Bank of Baroda which is running at a loss of Rs 4000 crore? Why is our MP not opening his mouth? Why is Shobha Karandlaje not opposing this merger? Former CM Sadananda Gowda is a central minister, why is he not taking up the issue to retain Vijaya Bank? DK MP Nalin Kumar is saying that he has written a letter to the government, why has he written a letter? why is it not possible for him to discuss this issue in the parliament? Let the government merge the Bank of Baroda with Vijaya Bank so that the name of Vijaya Bank will be retained.”
Corporators Praveen Chandra Alva, Asha D’Silva, Nagaveni, Merill Rego and others were also present.