Mangaluru : District Youth Congress has called for Mangaluru Bandh, opposing the merger of Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda, on January 9, said District Youth Congress President Mithun Rai.

Addressing mediapersons at the District Congress Committee Office here, on Sunday, he said that student associations, Bus Operators Association and several other private organisations had expressed their willingness to support the peaceful bandh.

“The central government’s decision to merge Vijaya Bank that had recorded a profit of Rs 727 crore with that of Bank of Baroda which has incurred a loss of Rs 3,102 crore during the first quarter of the financial year 2017-18, is a move to take Vijaya Bank to the verge of loss. The Modi government has done injustice to the Vijaya Bank, which has its roots in Dakshina Kannada, so as to do favour to Bank of Baroda which has its origin in Gujarat,” Mithun said.

He, further, said that Vijaya Bank was the symbol of efforts of its founder A B Shetty, former chairman Mulki Sundarram Shetty and lakhs of staff. The bank is the contribution of Bunt community to the nation and merger of Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda is an insult made to Bunt community in particular and to the people of Dakshina Kannada in general.

He meanwhile wanted to know why the MP from the district Nalin Kumar Kateel was keeping silent on the issue.

Mithun meanwhile felt that there was a need for all political leaders, irrespective of party affiliations, to fight for the existence of the bank.

He urged the MP and MLAs from BJP to support the cause. “The name of Vijaya Bank should be retained,” Mithun said.