“I Am a Thakur, Don’t Mess With Me”: Caste Remark by HDFC Bank Employee Causes Stir in UP

A controversy has erupted after a video showing a heated altercation inside an HDFC Bank branch in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur surfaced on social media. The incident occurred in the Panki area of the city and involved a female bank employee and a male customer.

The employee, identified as Aastha Singh, was seen verbally abusing the customer in the footage. The clip also shows her aggressively pointing a laptop at the man during the argument. What drew the sharpest criticism was Singh’s alleged remark, “I am a Thakur, don’t mess with me,” which many viewers described as caste-based and highly unprofessional.

The video quickly went viral, prompting strong reactions from netizens. Many users condemned the behaviour as a violation of professional ethics and customer rights, calling for strict disciplinary action against the employee.

Reacting to the clip on X, one user wrote, “Well @HDFC_Bank @HDFCBank_Cares is that how you take care of customers wow that’s great.” Another commented, “@HDFCBank_Cares see your employee behaviour.” A third user added, “Hope a case has been filed against her and departmental enquiry initiated. She should be removed for the job. Pathetic behaviour.”

As of now, HDFC Bank has not released any official statement regarding the incident. The episode has reignited discussions around staff training, customer handling practices, and the persistence of caste-based arrogance within professional spaces.