Delhi traders urge INDIA bloc allies to delay November 1 rally as Diwali commerce faces possible disruption
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Delhi’s trade body says the Congress rally at Ramlila Maidan could severely disrupt wholesale markets during the crucial Diwali shopping season. The association is asking INDIA bloc leaders to push the event to after November 10-11 or shift it to Burari Ground.
Delhi – The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray, urging them to persuade the Congress to move a rally planned for Sunday at Ramlila Maidan to a date after November 10-11. The traders’ body warned that the gathering could wreak havoc on daily business worth roughly Rs 10,000-12,000 crore across about 20 major wholesale and retail markets in central and Old Delhi at the height of the Diwali shopping season.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the group is not against the rally itself, but is deeply worried about the expected turnout 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 pointed to the cramped parking situation at Ramlila Maidan, noting that the venue cannot even handle 200 large buses. It warned that thousands of additional vehicles could choke major roads such as Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and the streets around Chandni Chowk and Ajmeri Gate, threatening to paralyze 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 carrying goods to the National Capital Region and other parts of the country. The group said transporters are already reluctant to send consignments because of fear of barricades and traffic restrictions.
The traders have suggested two alternatives: postpone the rally until after Diwali or move it to Burari Ground, which CTI says can fit around 15,000 vehicles. Goyal added that the CTI had approached Rahul Gandhi three times without any 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 over alleged electoral irregularities and its demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi had earlier said the protest could end quickly if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the chief election commissioner. Delhi Police has granted conditional permission for the rally, instructing organizers to park vehicles only in designated locations.