War of words over the losses to Delhi traders between Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the BJP is escalating further. After a round of allegations and counter-allegations from both sides, Rahul Gandhi again took a swipe at the BJP, accusing it of harming the financial interests of traders. He uploaded a short video in which he said the BJP had forcibly shut down all the shops, preventing people taking part in the protest from buying anything.
Meanwhile, traders’ bodies claimed that 2.5 to 3 lakh shops in markets within a 5-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan remained shut on Sunday, raising concerns over festival season earnings getting hit badly due to traffic congestion in the busy central Delhi shopping district.
In a video from an open canter he was travelling in while heading to the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction, Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA bloc had appealed to those attending the opposition bloc’s rally to do their shopping here, so that the shopkeepers could benefit.
“We told everyone that when you come here for the march and the mega rally, buy things, do some shopping. But, while coming to Connaught Place here, we found out that the BJP has forcibly shut down every single shop. So, you should know who is causing the loss to the traders, and how it’s happening!” Rahul Gandhi said.
In a fourth letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, CTI raised concerns over the impact of the rally on business activity, transport and the movement of goods. The traders’ body said nearly 3 lakh shops across major commercial centres were located in the affected area, with around 80 per cent expected to remain shut. Brijesh Goyal, National Chairman of CTI, said Rahul Gandhi had appealed to rally participants to visit nearby markets and support traders, but claimed that panic over traffic restrictions and the expected crowd had prompted shopkeepers to stay away.
Goyal further claimed that transport and loading-unloading operations had been disrupted in markets within a 10-kilometre radius of the rally venue, affecting the movement of goods from industrial areas and wholesale markets.
Highlighting the potential financial impact during the festive shopping season, Goyal said, “In short, widespread panic has spread. The 3 to 4 lakh people who visit Delhi daily from neighboring cities for shopping will also not be coming, as conveyed by numerous messages received by merchants. Outstation customers will not be visiting Delhi’s markets today. These 20 to 22 major wholesale and retail markets collectively witness Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 crore in business daily-some markets clock Rs 800 crore, others Rs 600 crore, and some Rs 400 crore every day. Especially now, during the peak shopping season for Diwali and Dhanteras, this Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 crore worth of commerce in these 22 major markets will suffer severe losses. Who will compensate for this? Who will make up for these losses? This is a serious question, and for this reason, CTI has addressed a fourth letter to Rahul Gandhi ji today.”
Referring to Dhanteras, Diwali and Chhath Puja, Union Minister JP Nadda said that small traders, street vendors and shopkeepers depended on the festive period to earn a substantial part of their annual income. According to Nadda, previous protests had already caused traders in Delhi losses of around Rs 3,000 crore. He claimed the latest rally could result in losses exceeding Rs 10,000 crore.