J&K Man Denied Hotel Room Over 'Police Directions,' Cops Say 'No Such Orders'

In the viral video, the man can be seen providing his Aadhaar card to the hotel reception and even offers his passport.

(Photo: Screenshot of video/Twitter)

A Kashmiri man on Tuesday, 22 March, was denied check-in to the Pleasant Inn Hotel in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, before being told by the hotel staff that the reason for the denial was "directions" from the Special Cell of Delhi Police.

The video recorded by the man was shared on Twitter by Nasir Khuehami, who is the national spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, and has since gone viral.

The man can be seen providing his Aadhaar card to the hotel reception and even offering his passport to check-in at the hotel, but to no avail.

A day later, the Delhi Police issued a clarification and denied any such direction being issued.

Further, the Oyo Rooms took the hotel off its platform and stated, "We are appalled that this happened... Our room and our hearts are open for everyone, always."

What’s Happening in the Video?

The Kashmiri man, who is trying to check-in the hotel for the room he had booked through Oyo, asks the staff why they will not accept a J&K ID.

He says, "I’m giving you my ID, my Aadhaar card. I will give my passport also."

To this the woman employee asks where the passport is from.

"Obviously from J&K… Why won’t you accept it?" the man asks again, while the woman is seen trying to reach a senior on the phone.

The woman does not provide a reason until someone senior on the phone tells her that the Delhi Police Special Cell has issued this direction.

Hotel Owner Accuses the Kashmiri Man

However, the hotel owner of the Pleasant Inn, Rakesh Kumar, claimed on Thursday that things were being interpreted in a different manner.

Kumar said, "The guests had a booking through OYO; all rooms were occupied except one room whose AC wasn't functioning properly."

Contradicting what is seen in the video, he further alleged that the guest had declined taking the room and used abusive language against the in-charge.

"It's not as if we don't give rooms to people with J&K IDs; our business works with them," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Police's Response

Denying the hotel staffer's claim, the Delhi Police said, "Aggrieved person in the video while posting the same on YouTube has stated that he stayed in the same area in another hotel and it was a lame excuse given by the hotel."

The police further said that some netizens are trying to "discredit the image" of Delhi Police through "willful misrepresentation of the video" and could attract penal action.

This comes in the wake of The Kashmir Files, a film that has taken centre stage in India, with theatres becoming grounds for anti-Muslim slogans and hate speeches.

Our Hearts Open for Everyone: Oyo Rooms

The Oyo Rooms took the hotel off its platform soon after the video went viral and stated, "We are appalled that this happened...Our room and our hearts are open for everyone, always."

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra shared the video saying, "I sincerely hope Delhi Police and Delhi Police Commissioner take appropriate action at the earliest."