Noida Hotel Denies Accommodation to Bengali Family Amid Controversy

Incident at Noida Hotel

A hotel in Noida, affiliated with Oyo Rooms, refused to provide lodging to a Bengali tech professional and his son, citing a police order that allegedly prohibited bookings from individuals from Bangladesh until Independence Day for security reasons.

The father and his 14-year-old son, who is a national-level skater, traveled from Kolkata to Noida for a sports event. According to reports, the receptionist informed them about a supposed police directive that restricted guests from Bangladesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir until August 15.

“I was taken aback,” the father stated. “I clarified that we are from West Bengal, not Bangladesh. However, the receptionist insisted it was the same and refused us entry.”

After multiple calls to Oyo Rooms, the customer service representative eventually agreed to process a refund within 7 to 10 days.

This incident occurred at the Meera Eternity hotel located in Sector 44 of Noida.

In response, an unnamed Oyo Rooms official confirmed that the hotel was removed from their platform the same day and that an investigation was underway. The official emphasized that Oyo has not issued any such guidelines to its hotels and does not endorse discrimination.

Noida's Deputy Commissioner of Police, Yamuna Prasad, stated that there have been no orders issued to hotels in the area to deny accommodation to individuals from Bengal or any other Indian states. He clarified that while hotels are required to verify identification and visa documents for guests from Bangladesh, there is no prohibition against allowing Bangladeshi residents with valid documentation to stay.

This incident occurs in the context of rising concerns from the Trinamool Congress regarding the targeting of Bengali-speaking migrant workers in various regions of the country, suspected of being from Bangladesh.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, police in several BJP-ruled states have been detaining Bengali-speaking individuals, primarily Muslims, and demanding proof of their Indian citizenship.