Poster was removed laterAgainst the backdrop of the Pulwama terror attack, a hotel in Noida has put up a sign at the reception, which reads ‘Kashmiris not allowed’. While the poster was later removed, the owner of the property in Sector 15, Jani Homes, said the “policy will continue”.
The property belongs to Navnirman Sena chief Amit Jani, and was converted into a franchise hotel after tying up with OYO Rooms, which has since terminated their contract.
Jani, though, remained defiant and claimed: “When people from Punjab, Gujarat or other states come, they don’t abuse the country. But Kashmiris do, which I will not tolerate. There is a sense of discomfort with them around. They could be hiding weapons in their robes for all we know. My guesthouse doors are open to nationalists from Kashmir, whom I know personally. But some of the Kashmiris celebrated the attack. It’s not like I have anything to gain from this — I myself have become a target and I will incur losses. But nothing is above patriotism.”
The hotel has 14 rooms and a staff of 10. The tariff is between Rs 700 and Rs 1,500 per night.
When contacted, Sector 20 SHO Rajvir Singh Chauhan said: “After it was highlighted, a booth in-charge was sent to the hotel. The staff had removed the poster by the time we reached. If it comes to our knowledge that any Kashmiri is being discriminated against, strictest action will be taken against the hotel owners and a case will be pursued.”
OYO said it has delisted the hotel. A spokesperson said, “OYO Hotels & Homes is committed to bringing quality living experiences to our guests from around the world, irrespective of their race, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, gender identity, age, etc. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination, and any such action that is tantamount to discrimination is a serious violation of the basic principles of engagement with OYO followed by our franchise hotels. As soon as we were made aware of this, we took immediate action and delisted the hotel within hours.”
The firm has also listed the hotel on its online portal as ‘Sold Out’ to prevent further bookings and asked it to remove OYO’s branding from its property.
