New Delhi: A day after Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi reiterated call for ‘Chalo Delhi’ march slated for November 1, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) wrote to him again on Tuesday, pleading that the mega-rally be rescheduled after Diwali festivities.
A copy of the letter has also been sent to Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, urging him to discuss the matter with allies in the INDIA bloc.
Earlier on Monday, Rahul Gandhi took to X and made it clear that he intends to proceed with the rally, which is scheduled to be held at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
“To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The Govt shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote, nothing is safe – your shop, your savings, your children’s future. Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar, and the protests will stop in 30 seconds,” Gandhi said.
According to the CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal, the November 1 rally is right in the middle of the peak Diwali shopping season.
“Following this announcement, traders in the 20 major markets surrounding Ramlila Maidan have expressed deep concern and disappointment, leading to an atmosphere of panic,” the CTI said.
The traders’ body questioned whether the barricades will be set up as early as October 31, whether several routes across the National Capital will be blocked, and whether the shops will be allowed to operate or customers will be able to reach them given the restrictions.
The CTI further stated that if the Congress leaders’ estimate of 10 lakh people, along with 15,000-20,000 vehicles, attending the rally is correct, then where will they be parked?
“There is no authorised parking for even 200 vehicles in the vicinity of Ramlila Maidan. Twenty major wholesale and retail markets surrounding Ramlila Maidan will be directly affected,” it said.
The traders’ body mentioned that Ramlila Maidan is surrounded by some of Delhi’s largest wholesale and retail markets, while listing 21 major markets that would be affected by the mega rally.
The CTI stated that the October 10 Jantar Mantar protest involving only 3,000–4,000 people led to the “sealing off of all of Central Delhi”, resulting in a loss of Rs 3,000 crore for traders.
“A rally of 10 lakh people on November 1 would bring all business activity in Old Delhi to a complete standstill, resulting in a loss of Rs 10,000 crore,” it added.
“In the public and business interest, the rally be rescheduled to after November 10, following the festival of Bhaiya Dooj. If holding the rally on November 1 is unavoidable, it should be moved from Ramlila Maidan to an open space, such as the Burari Grounds or Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium—where it would not impact the markets,” the CTI stated.
Meanwhile, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said that Gandhi’s X post would not satisfy the traders.
Speaking to IANS, Khandelwal said, “Rahul Gandhi tweeted yesterday about Delhi’s traders, apparently believing that his tweet-based politics would satisfy them. The question is, when he said in his tweet that the metro was shut down and roads were blocked, why was the administration compelled to take these steps in the first place?”
(IANS)
