The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has asked Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to postpone the INDIA bloc’s protest rally scheduled for November 1 at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, warning that the event could affect business during the peak festive season.
In a letter to Gandhi, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said Delhi’s traders could face losses of up to ₹10,000 crore if the rally goes ahead on the planned date. The INDIA bloc has announced a ‘Delhi Chalo March’ against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Goyal said Delhi records business worth ₹25,000 crore during the festive period, with shopping beginning nearly a week before Dhanteras. He said traders had already suffered losses of up to ₹3,000 crore in October because of frequent rallies, marches, road closures and preventive security measures.
The CTI letter said the business disruption had affected the movement of goods into wholesale markets and made it difficult for customers to reach commercial areas. It referred to markets and business districts such as Connaught Place, India Gate and Central Delhi, where traders reported a decline in customer footfall.
New Delhi Traders’ Association president Atul Bhargava had earlier said traders respected the right to protest but also needed to protect their livelihoods. He said that while markets remained open during a previous protest, several shopkeepers closed their establishments and those who continued to operate reported fewer customers.
The traders’ body has urged political parties to avoid rallies and demonstrations during the festive period leading up to and including Dhanteras on November 6, Diwali on November 8 and Bhai Dooj on November 10. The CTI said it fully respected democratic values and the right to peaceful protest.
Goyal highlighted the presence of major wholesale and retail centres within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan. Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Jama Masjid, Jhandewalan and Karol Bagh were among the markets identified as being vulnerable to traffic restrictions and possible Metro closures during the rally.
The letter also raised concerns about the proximity of Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations to the protest venue. It said hundreds of thousands of traders and buyers use the stations every day and that route closures and overcrowding during the rally could create difficulties for people travelling to and from areas outside Delhi.
The issue of protests affecting traders and daily-wage earners was heard by the Supreme Court on October 16. The court warned that it could use its constitutional tort jurisdiction to award compensation if demonstrations in Delhi disproportionately obstructed people’s ability to earn a livelihood.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed hope that “better sense will prevail” and that the interests of protesters, traders and the authorities would be balanced.
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