Rahul Gandhi Rejects Business Community's Request to Delay November 1 Protest

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on X responded to a request from Delhi's Chamber of Trade and Industry to postpone the opposition's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, saying the demonstration could be halted in "30 seconds" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gandhi wrote in Hindi, "Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar, and the protests will stop in 30 seconds."

The business community had warned that a mass gathering ahead of the peak shopping season could disrupt commercial activity worth billions of rupees, citing the proximity of the venue to wholesale and retail hubs that see their highest footfall before festivals such as Dhanteras, Diwali and Bhai Dooj. In a letter, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal asked the INDIA bloc to defer the rally until after November 10 to protect trade.

The rally is part of the opposition alliance's broader campaign demanding the resignation of the chief election commissioner over the handling of the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise and other alleged unilateral decisions by the election body.