After a viral video showed a Jammu and Kashmir man being refused accommodation at a hotel in the nation’s capital, Delhi police clarified on Wednesday that they had not ordered hotels to cancel reservations made by those in the union territory.
“An alleged video is going viral on social media in which a person is denied a hotel reservation because of their J&K ID. The reason for the cancellation is given as a directive from the police…no such directive has been given…willful false statement may result in criminal prosecution,” Delhi Police tweeted on Wednesday evening.
In the undated video, a receptionist at a hotel, listed under hotel aggregator Oyo Rooms, refused to allow a Kashmiri man to check in even after showing him valid IDs. The receptionist claimed Delhi police ordered the hotel not to accept bookings from people from Jammu and Kashmir.
Impact of #KashmirFiles On the ground.
Hotel Delhi refuses accommodation to Kashmiri man, despite ID and other documents provided. Is being a Kashmiri a Crime. @Nidhi @ndtv @TimesNow @vijaita @zoo_bear @kaushikrj6 @_sayema @alishan_jafri @_sayema @manojkjhadu @MahuaMoitra pic.twitter.com/x2q8A5fXpo
— Nasir Khuehami (ناصر کہویہامی) (@NasirKhuehami) March 23, 2022
“Some netizens are trying to discredit the image of Delhi Police by deliberately distorting the circulating video which may result in criminal charges,” Delhi Police added.
An alleged video is going viral on social media in which a person is denied a hotel reservation because of their J&K ID. The reason for the cancellation is given under the direction of the police.
It is stated that no such directive was given by the Delhi Police. (1/3)@ANI @PTI_News— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) March 23, 2022
Shortly after the video was shared by Nasir Khuehami, national spokesperson for the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association, Oyo Rooms announced that it had removed the hotel from its platform.
“We are appalled that this has happened. We immediately removed the hotel from our platform,” Oyo Rooms tweeted. “Our rooms and our hearts are open to everyone, always. It’s not something we will compromise on, ever. We will definitely check what caused the hotel to refuse check-in. Thank you for letting us know. »
Khuehami claimed that the incident was due to “the impact of Kashmir files”. “Impact of #KashmirFiles on the ground. Hotel in Delhi refuses accommodation to Kashmiri man, despite provided ID and other documents. Is being a Kashmiri a crime” , he tweeted.
The Kashmir Files is a film directed by Vivek Agnihotri about the events leading up to the Pandit exodus from Kashmir in the 1990s. The film sparked controversy and was criticized by the opposition for presenting a one-sided account of the events. The film has also been endorsed by a number of Union Ministers and granted tax-exempt status by almost all BJP-ruled states, with some even granting permission to government employees to watch it. .
