Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jun 8: A BJP media unit in-charge from Jammu and Kashmir has alleged that he was refused accommodation at a hotel in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city due to “concerns linked to his Kashmiri identity”.
The hotel owner, however, denied the charge, claiming the room had already been booked.
Sajid Yousuf Shah, BJP’s co-media in-charge for J&K, took to X on Sunday to narrate his experience and tagged his post to the Prime Minister’s Office, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“Should any citizen of this country be made to feel unwelcome or be asked to leave late at night because of their identity or place of origin?” he asked in his post.
“Today, I experienced something that left me deeply saddened. After checking into a hotel in Aurangabad (now called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), Maharashtra, I was later (After an hour) asked to leave because of concerns linked to my Kashmiri identity,” he claimed.
“The owner was courteous & candid. He acknowledged that the decision was unfair and hurtful, but said he was following instructions,” he wrote. For decades, countless Kashmiris have worked to strengthen the bonds between Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of India, Shah pointed out.
“Most Indians have welcomed us with warmth and respect. Yet incidents like this show that stereotypes and apprehensions persist,” he added. “I share it because such moments remind us that while laws can unite a nation, trust and understanding take longer to build,” he remarked.
Shah said what concerns him is a larger question of fairness and equal treatment.
“I may have the means to stay at any premium or luxury 5-star property, but what of an ordinary Kashmiri traveller who can only afford a modest hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar? Should any citizen of this country be made to feel unwelcome or be asked to leave late at night because of their identity or place of origin?” he asked.
Shah also said he appreciated the hotel owner’s honesty and left without any confrontation, and that he was not sharing his experience to seek sympathy or assign blame.
The hotel where he sought accommodation is located in the Mill Corner area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city.
When contacted, the hotel owner told PTI that the room was already booked, but the staff gave it to Shah.
“The room was given to him, and he checked in too. When the staff told me about it, I informed them that it was already sold out. So, immediately, I told him (hotel staffer) to refund the money because the room was already sold out. We have given rooms to Kashmiri people earlier with proper identity cards,” he added. (Agencies)
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