On March 23, Delhi Police condemned a section of netizens for willfully misrepresenting viral video of a man from Jammu & Kashmir who was denied a room in a Delhi hotel. In a statement released on Twitter, Delhi Police added that attempts to discredit the image of Delhi Police through willful misrepresentation may attract penal action.
A purported video is viral on social media wherein a person is being denied hotel reservation due to his J&K ID. The reason for cancellation is being given as direction from police.
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) March 23, 2022
It is clarified that no such direction has been given by Delhi Police.(1/3)@ANI @PTI_News
The Delhi Police categorically denied giving any directions to deny hotel reservations to someone holding an ID of Jammu and Kashmir. They said, “A purported video is viral on social media wherein a person is being denied hotel reservation due to his J&K ID. The reason for cancellation is being given as direction from police. It is clarified that no such direction has been given by Delhi Police.”
Some netizens are trying to discredit the image of Delhi Police through willful misrepresentation of the video in circulation which can attract penal action.(3/3)@ANI @PTI_News #DelhiPoliceUpdates
— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) March 23, 2022
They added that the person who published the video on YouTube said that he stayed in the same area in another hotel, and the hotel that denied the accommodation gave a lame excuse. Delhi Police added, “Some netizens are trying to discredit the image of Delhi Police through willful misrepresentation of the video in circulation, which can attract penal action.”
The viral video blamed Delhi Police and Vivek Agnihotri for hate against Kashmiris
An undated video was shared on Twitter by one Nasir Khuehami alleging that a hotel in Delhi denied accommodation to a person from Jammu & Kashmir. In the video, a man could be heard arguing with the receptionist of The Pleasant Inn, which is an OYO flagship property. A staff member of the hotel told the person that she was directed not to give accommodation to anyone with a J&K ID.
When the man protested, she called the manager, who told her to tell the person that Delhi Police directed for the same. Nasir, despite the fact that there was no mention of Vivek Agnihotri’s latest film, The Kashmir Files, in the viral video, blamed the filmmaker for “inciting people against Kashmiris”. Many netizens targeted Delhi Police for allegedly issuing the said directions.
It is noteworthy that such incidents, though isolated, have happened in the past. Many reports dated back as far as 2016 have been shared since the video went viral. Even in the previous incidents, Delhi Police had categorically denied issuing any directions to deny accommodation to people of J&K.
