BJP's 'cronyism' caused banking sector crisis, junior employees suffering: Rahul Gandhi

Gandhi shared a video of his meeting with a delegation of ex-ICICI bank who he said have suffered due to the "mismanagement".

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the BJP government's "cronyism" and "regulatory mismanagement" has pushed India's banking sector into a crisis, which in turn hurts junior employees who have to "endure stress and toxic work conditions".

Accusing the BJP government of writing off Rs 16 lakh crore for its "billionaire friends", Gandhi said the government's "economic mismanagement" has a human cost that affects thousands of honest working professionals.

In a post on X, Gandhi shared a video of his meeting with a delegation of ex-ICICI bank who he said have suffered due to the "mismanagement", saying the Congress would fight for such working-class professionals and end "workplace harassment and exploitation".

He also urged those who have faced similar "injustice" to write to him.

"The BJP government has written off Rs 16 lakh crore in loans for their billionaire friends. Cronyism, coupled with regulatory mismanagement has pushed India's banking sector into crisis. This burden is ultimately borne by junior employees, who endure stress and toxic work conditions," he said in his post.

He said on behalf of 782 ex-ICICI Bank employees, a delegation met him in Parliament yesterday.

"On behalf of 782 ex-ICICI Bank employees, a delegation met me in Parliament yesterday. Their stories reveal a disturbing pattern—workplace harassment, forced transfers, retaliation for exposing unethical lending to NPA violators, and terminations without due process. In two tragic cases, this led to suicide.

"The BJP government's economic mismanagement has a human cost as it affects thousands of honest working professionals around the country," he said.

"If you are a working professional who has faced similar injustice share your story with me at https://rahulgandhi.in/awaazbharatki," he noted.

The delegation of employees alleging unfair dismissal by the ICICI Bank met Gandhi on Friday and shared accounts of being "abruptly terminated" while on medical leave or for raising concerns about management practices. The delegation of employees alleging unfair dismissal by the bank met Gandhi at his office at the Parliament House Complex.

There was no immediate reaction from the private bank.

They shared accounts of being abruptly terminated while on medical leave, during periods of sanctioned absence, or for raising concerns about management practices, the Congress said in a post on X.

The employees highlighted that such practices are not isolated to ICICI Bank but reflect a broader trend across private sector banks, driven by mounting pressure to maximise profits, the party said.