CAA violence in Murshidabad: South Kolkata school's four-day hotel booking cancelled

LALBAG (MURSHIDABAD): The CAA-triggered violence sweeping through Murshidabad has forced scores to cancel their trips to the district. Hotel owners are concerned as hundreds have either cancelled bookings or have been leaving their hotels following the widespread violence since Saturday that saw several trains being torched and roads blocked across Murshidabad.
Utpal Sarkar, owner of a private hotel, was disappointed when a travel agency cancelled a south-Kolkata school’s four-day booking for students who were supposed to visit the place on an excursion.“It was a matter of prestige for us that the school booked all our rooms from December 18-21. I am disappointed not only due to the money lost but at the aimless movement that has disconnected Murshidabad. This is the peak tourist season,” said Sarkar.
An official of Monarch Tours and Travels said, “We arranged the tour for the school and had booked train tickets. But “we had to cancel it following the train disruption.”
Ashis Kumar Pal, a tourist from Kolkata, drove to a hotel in Murshidabad with his family on Saturday. However, the ongoing protests made them leave early on Sunday. Another tourist, Surajit Sur, checked out of his hotel on Sunday evening. “I planned to spend three days here. But after watching the news on TV, I decided to leave immediately,” he said.