4″, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and said the protests will then stop in 30 seconds.
Days after a traders’ body urged him to postpone INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally against “vote chori”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday (October 26, 2026) asked the traders to tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “sack accused no.
“To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The Government shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital,” Mr. The traders’ body requested the leader of the Congress party, a core constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc, to consider holding the rally after November 10, saying the postponement would help protect business activity during one of the busiest periods of the year.
Gandhi said on X. The Opposition rally is aimed at ramping up pressure on the government over the “vote chori” issue and for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Mr. Goyal said Delhi records business worth around ₹25,000 crore across sectors such as gold and silver, electronics, clothing, utensils, dry fruits, sweets, automobiles, property and gift items around Dhanteras, which falls on November 6 this year. Diwali will be celebrated on November 8, followed by Bhai Dooj on November 10.
“With a stolen vote nothing is safe – your shop, your savings, your children’s future,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said. In a letter to Gandhi, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said the rally could affect wholesale and retail markets around Ramlila Maidan at a time when traders expect heavy customer footfall ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali. The traders’ body said markets generally see increased activity about a week before the festivals, making the timing of the rally a matter of concern for traders.
