NEW DELHI: A group of traders on Monday held a protest at Kashmere Gate, urging the Congress to defer its November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan until after Diwali. However, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the protests "will stop in 30 seconds" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi sacked Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said it would write to all parties in the INDIA bloc, claiming that security arrangements, road closures and traffic diversions for the rally could disrupt business in major markets during the festive season.
The Sadar Bazar Bari Market Trade Association also urged the Congress to postpone the rally, stressing that the festive season was crucial for traders to make up for business lost during the rest of the year.
The traders held placards and raised the slogan, "20,000 vaipariyo ki ik hi pukar, Diwali ke baad kijiye rally ka vichar (20,000 traders have one appeal: hold the rally after Diwali)", claiming that the November 1 rally could severely affect wholesale markets. They pointed to the Congress' claim that around 10 lakh people were expected to attend the event.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, “To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The Govt shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote nothing is safe - your shop, your savings, your children’s future. Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar and the protests will stop in 30 seconds.”
During the protest, the traders said they would write to leaders of all parties in the INDIA bloc, “urging them to hear our sentiments and postpone the rally”.
"Business will be heavily impacted because, as reports suggest, 10 lakh people might gather at Ramlila Maidan, whereas its actual capacity is around 50,000," CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said.
He referred to a gathering at Jantar Mantar on October 10, claiming that the presence of around 2,000 to 4,000 people had led to metro station closures, barricading and restrictions, forcing more than 20 major markets to shut down.
“A rally of the anticipated scale could affect more than 20 major wholesale hubs within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Chawri Bazar, Daryaganj and Kashmere Gate. The barricading and road closures can prevent three to four lakh buyers from outside Delhi who visit the city daily from reaching the markets. Local customers could also avoid visiting the areas due to concerns over traffic and movement restrictions,” he said.
The opposition rally aims to increase pressure on the government and press for the Chief Election Commissioner's resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
