The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to postpone the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan until after November 10, warning that it could disrupt business worth ₹10,000 crore during the peak Deepavali shopping season.
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. Deepavali will be celebrated on November 8, followed by Bhai Dooj on November 10. In a letter to Mr. Mr.
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, 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 Deepavali. 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.
Traders in Delhi have already suffered losses of around ₹3,000 crore in October due to rallies, marches and road closures in Connaught Place, India Gate and central Delhi, according to the CTI’s assessment.
These markets supply goods to different parts of the country, and traffic diversions, barricading and possible restrictions on public transport during the rally could disrupt business operations, CTI said. He said restrictions on roads and heavy crowds could discourage outstation buyers from visiting the capital during the festive season. The opposition rally is aimed at ramping up pressure on the government over the “vote chori” issue and for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
