Kashmir News Bureau
New Delhi, Jan 12 (KNB): What could be more humiliating for a law abiding person like Sameed Malik a journalist by profession is denied accommodations and to face unnecessary scrutiny in Delhi just because of being a Kashmiri.
The harassment outside the state particularly in national capital Delhi is everyday reality for every Kashmiri as such number of Kashmiris including students, businessmen, journalist and others are being harassed on different pretexts.
Sameed Malik and his friend Riyaz War had to walk miles to find the accommodations after hotels in Paharganj and Jamia Masjid area denied accommodation to them, citing reasons that Delhi Police has asked them to be vigilant about Kashmiri.
In a tweet addressed to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Sameed said is being a Kashmiri a crime, Delhi hotels denied to give us room by saying you people are terrorists.
“They looked at our identity cards and said they could not accommodate us because we were from Jammu and Kashmir. I showed them my driving license, voter’s ID. But to no avail,” he further stated.
He said the accommodations is not only the problem but even parking of vehicle bearing the number with ‘JK’ is seen as suspicious in Delhi, adding, at one point we were denied parking by saying “there may be bombs in vehicle.”
Pertinently, Police in Delhi sensitized hotel and guesthouse owners and ask them to keep a track of visitors particularly from Kashmir in view of the Republic Day or Independence Day. (KNB)