New Delhi: Traders on Monday held a protest at Kashmere Gate here demanding that the Congress defer the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan until after Diwali, with Chamber of Trade and Industry chairman Brijesh Goyal saying that they will write to all parties in the INDIA bloc on the issue.
The traders also wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, urging them to reschedule the rally, as they fear that security arrangements, road closures and traffic diversions could disrupt business in the national capital’s major markets during the festive season.
However, in a post on X, Gandhi on Monday said the protests will “stop in 30 seconds” if the traders tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over the “vote chori” issue.
The opposition rally is aimed at ramping up pressure on the government and press for the CEC’s resignation over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
During the Monday protest, the traders 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)”.
Goyal, chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), said the November 1 rally could severely affect wholesale markets as Congress has been claiming that around 10 lakh people are expected to attend the event.
“We will write to leaders of all the parties in the INDIA bloc, urging them to hear our sentiments and postpone the rally,” he mentioned.
“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,” Goyal said.
Referring to a gathering at Jantar Mantar on October 10, he claimed 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.
Goyal said 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.
He said barricading and road closures could 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.
Separately, Paramjeet Singh Pamma, president of the Sadar Bazar Bari Market Trade Association, also urged the Congress leadership to postpone the rally, saying the festive season is crucial for traders to make up for business across the year.
Pamma said major wholesale markets, including Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Fatehpuri and Azad Market, witness a heavy influx of traders and buyers from Delhi and other states during the festive season.
Any traffic restrictions, diversions or difficulties in reaching these markets could affect business and lead to losses worth crores of rupees, he said.
The traders appealed to the Congress leadership to hold the rally after Diwali to avoid disruption to festive-season trade.
