The Minister and Manager of the hotel have lodged complaints with the police against each other. (File)
A Bihar minister was allegedly manhandled by the employees of a hotel in West Bengal's Birbhum district; the hotel has denied the minister's charges of assault on him.
Suresh Kumar Sharma, urban development and housing minister and a BJP lawmaker of Bihar, was allegedly manhandled and his men were attacked when they demanded that the booking amount be refunded, said the minister's personal secretary S Kumar.
"We had booked two rooms online. But after reaching there in the afternoon, we found that the rooms were not suitable for the minister," Kumar said.
The hotel was asked to make alternative arrangement but they abused the minister, he alleged.
"We decided to leave the hotel and demanded refund of the booking amount but they refused and the employees attacked us," Kumar claimed.
"The minister's securitymen rescued him and we are forced to leave the hotel," he said.
Manager of the hotel Sunil Giri, however, said, "We just told them that online booking amount could be refunded only through online mode."
"But they were not ready to listen and attacked our employees at the reception," he alleged.
Birbhum District Magistrate P Mohangandhi said he heard the incident and told the Rampurhat sub-divisional officer to look into the matter.
Repeated calls to the SDO went unanswered.
The minister and his entourage, meanwhile, have checked in to another hotel in Tarapith, famous for the temple of goddess Tara.
Both sides lodged complaints with the police against each other.