Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday reportedly ordered probe into the alleged incident of a Ahmedabad hotel asking its Northeast employees to stay away during the three-day visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in India earlier this month.
The probe was ordered after reports stated that the hotel was given the instructions by the Gujarat police to ask its Northeast employees to stay away during Jinping’s visit.
Jinping stayed at the hotel and Gujarat police did not want the Chinese President to mistake them as Tibetans.
The employees of the hotel and mall were issued passes but were asked to stay away, the report further stated.
However, the hotel had reportedly denied issuing any such instructions.
Sources say the Home Ministry has taken note of media reports and wants to know whether such orders were issued at all, and if they were, then at whose instance. It has asked for a report by Tuesday.
The ministry is reportedly investigating whether the order came from the Ahmedabad police, but its chief Shivanand Jha has denied it.
The hotel and mall have also denied any order to employees. The hotel management told that not only were north-east staffers on duty, but food for President Xi and his delegation was also supervised by a chef from the region.
The hotel has more than 300 employees, 35 of whom are said to be from the Northeast.
President Xi stopped at Ahmedabad on Wednesday for a six-hour visit before traveling to New Delhi. He was hosted by PM Modi, who treated him to dinner and a stroll near the Sabarmati River.
