ramlila-maidan-protest-rahul-gandhi-s-30-second-remark-grabs-attention

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has rejected Delhi traders’ appeal to defer the Opposition INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, saying the protest could end within 30 seconds if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

 

Gandhi made the remarks in a post on X after the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) asked him to reschedule the gathering until after November 10. He urged traders seeking an immediate resolution to raise the matter with the Prime Minister.

 

Gyanesh Kumar has emerged as the principal target of the Opposition’s campaign over the handling of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise. The Opposition has also alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner took unilateral decisions despite the other two election commissioners recording objections to several measures adopted by the poll body without their knowledge.

 

Addressing Delhi’s business community, Gandhi said the city’s metro services had been shut, roads sealed and the national capital placed under restrictions. He argued that, without what he described as a “stolen vote”, traders’ shops, savings and their children’s future could not be considered secure. He referred to Kumar as “accused no. 4” and said asking Modi to sack him would bring the protests to an end in 30 seconds.

 

 

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In its letter, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the rally could affect commercial activity worth Rs 10,000 crore across Delhi if held just before the peak festive shopping period. Ramlila Maidan is located near Old Delhi’s major wholesale and retail markets, which see their highest customer footfall in the week before the festival season.

 

Goyal pointed out that Dhanteras falls on November 6, Diwali on November 8 and Bhai Dooj on November 10. Delhi’s markets record an estimated turnover of around Rs 25,000 crore on Dhanteras alone, with gold and silver, electronics and automobiles among the major business segments.

 

The November 1 gathering is part of the INDIA bloc’s continuing campaign seeking the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. On October 12, Opposition leaders and activists marched along heavily barricaded arterial roads to submit a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the SIR exercise.

 

The following day, Gandhi hosted INDIA bloc leaders for tea at his Delhi residence. After the meeting, the alliance announced that it would continue its campaign against what it termed “vote chori”.