‘Palak paneer without paneer’: OYO’s new check-in rules are dividing the internet

Travel booking platform OYO recently introduced a new check-in policy for its partner hotels, starting from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. Under these rules, unmarried couples will no longer be able to check in at OYO partner hotels.

Additionally, couples will be asked to provide valid proof of their relationship upon check-in, including online bookings. The travel booking platform allows partner hotels the freedom to decline bookings for couples based on their own judgment and local social sensitivity.

Based on feedback from the field, the company may expand this directive to other cities as well. Needless to say, OYO’s latest check-in policy has divided netizens. While some users made fun of the platform’s policies, others raised the much more serious issue of fundamental rights.

“Palak paneer without paneer,” a user commented. “He won’t file for an IPO,” another user said. “Maggi without masala,” a third user said jokingly.

“Local social sensitivity. Lol where is this so called social sensitivity when children are dying of hunger, the poor are dying due to lack of medical care they need and 1000 other problems, but this local social sensitivity increases when couples rent an apartment,” a fourth user noted.

“How can such a discriminatory policy be allowed? It’s one thing when local hotels refuse to provide rooms due to arbitrary policies, but when such a large chain openly includes it in their policy, they should be kept,” commented a fifth user.

“OYO has become shit over time, but this “rule” is a clear violation of fundamental rights under Art. 21 (right to life and personal liberty) and art. 14 (right to equality) because it discriminates on the basis of marital status,” wrote another user.

However, the user stated: “This does not constitute a violation of fundamental rights. Fundamental rights do not apply in private contracts, only unacceptable contract terms can be deleted. Moreover, the choice of customers rests with the service provider. OYO simply changed the policy of its platform. If you don’t like it, you can simply book rooms through other platforms. None of these changes are “illegal.”