Delhi traders ask opposition allies to postpone November 1 rally citing Diwali season impact
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The Chamber of Trade and Industry has written to leaders of the INDIA bloc requesting that the Congress move a planned rally on November 1 to after the Diwali shopping period, warning of potential disruption to wholesale markets.
Delhi – The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) sent a letter to leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray, asking them to persuade the Congress to shift a rally scheduled for Sunday at Ramlila Maidan to a date after November 10-11. The traders’ association said the event could affect daily business worth roughly Rs 10,000-12,000 crore across about 20 major wholesale and retail markets in central and Old Delhi during the peak Diwali shopping period.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the group is not opposed to the rally but is concerned about the expected gathering of up to one million people and 15,000-20,000 vehicles. > "We are not opposing the rally. We are pleading with folded hands to protect our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season," Goyal said.
The association highlighted limited parking capacity at Ramlila Maidan, noting that the venue cannot accommodate even 200 large buses. It warned that thousands of additional vehicles could block major roads such as Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and streets around Chandni Chowk and Ajmeri Gate, potentially disrupting traffic from October 31 onward.
CTI estimates that the affected markets—Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Chawri Bazar, Karol Bagh and Daryaganj—receive about 5,000 trucks and tempos daily from Delhi’s industrial areas, with another 3,000 vehicles transporting goods to the National Capital Region and other parts of the country. The group said transporters were already hesitant to dispatch goods due to fears of barricades and traffic restrictions.
The traders have proposed two alternatives: postpone the rally until after Diwali or relocate it to Burari Ground, which CTI says can accommodate around 15,000 vehicles. Goyal added that the CTI had approached Rahul Gandhi three times without success. > "We appealed to Rahul Gandhi, but he refused. Now our last hope is with you," he said.
The rally is part of the opposition’s campaign on alleged electoral irregularities and a demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi previously responded that the protest could end quickly if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the chief election commissioner. Delhi Police has granted conditional permission for the rally, directing organizers to park vehicles only at designated locations.