Amit Shah's claim of NIA arresting Kanhaiya Lal murder accused a 'lie': Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot
Jaipur, Jun 30: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah's claim that the NIA arrested the accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case was a "lie" and added the state police nabbed them within four hours of the crime in Udaipur.
Soon after Shah made the claim while addressing a rally in Udaipur, the chief minister hit back at him and said he would probably be aware that the two accused were "active BJP workers".
He also demanded an inquiry to expose the "BJP leaders" who helped the accused.
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, was murdered on June 28 last year by two men who had accused him of insulting Islam after he allegedly posted content on social media in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
Referring to the incident, Shah told the rally in Udaipur that the Ashok Gehlot government did not even want to catch the accused and the NIA had caught them.
Gehlot sharply reacted to his remarks and tweeted in Hindi, "It is expected that people holding responsible positions will not do politics on a serious issue like terrorism but what Union Home Minister Amit Shah did in Udaipur today is an irresponsible act."
He said that Shah "lied" that Kanhaiya Lal's killers Riyaz Attari and Ghous Mohammed were caught by the NIA.
"The truth is that they were caught by Rajasthan Police in just four hours of the incident. This tragic incident took place on June 28, 2022 while the file of this case was transferred to the NIA on July 2, 2022," the chief minister said.
Claiming that the accused duo were "active BJP workers", Gehlot said Shah "should get an inquiry done to ascertain who were the BJP leaders who helped these two, who used to call the police stations for them."
The chief minister also asked why did it take a long time to file a charge sheet in an open-and-shut case like this one and why have they not been punished yet.
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Unmarried couples no longer welcome, OYO changes check-in rules
New Delhi (PTI): Travel booking major OYO has launched a new check-in policy for partner hotels, starting from Meerut, introducing guidelines effective this year whereby unmarried couples will no longer be welcome to check in.
Under the revised policy, all couples will be asked to present valid proof of relationship at the time of check-in, including for bookings made online. OYO has empowered its partner hotels' discretion to decline couple bookings based on their judgment, aligning with local social sensibility, the company said.
OYO has given the directive to its partner hotels in Meerut to ensure this with immediate effect. Based on ground feedback, the company may expand this to more cities, people familiar with the policy change said.
"OYO has received feedback in the past from civil society groups especially in Meerut urging action to address this issue. Additionally, residents from few other cities have petitioned for disallowing unmarried couples to check-in at OYO hotels," they said.
Pawas Sharma, Region Head, OYO North India, told PTI, "OYO is committed to upholding safe and responsible hospitality practices. While we respect individual freedoms and personal liberty, we also recognise our responsibility to listen to and work with the law enforcement and civil society groups in the micro markets we operate in. We will continue to review this policy and its impact periodically."
The initiative is a part of OYO's programme to transform outdated perception and project itself as a brand providing safe experience for families, students, business, religious and solo travellers, the company said.
Additionally, the programme aims to encourage longer stays and repeat bookings, enhancing customer trust and loyalty.
OYO has started pan-India initiatives such as joint seminars on safe hospitality with police and hotel partners, blacklisting hotels reportedly promoting immoral activities and initiating actions against unauthorised hotels using OYO branding, it added.
