Traders urge INDIA bloc to defer November rally till after Diwali

Traders on Monday held a protest at Kashmere Gate, demanding that the Congress defer the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan until after Diwali, with Chamber of Trade and Industry chairman Brijesh Goyal saying they will write to all parties in the INDIA bloc on the issue.

The traders also wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, urging them to reschedule the rally, as they fear that security arrangements, road closures and traffic diversions could disrupt business in the national capital’s major markets during the festive season.

However, in a post on X, Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the protests will “stop in 30 seconds” if the traders tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the “vote chori” issue.

The Opposition rally aims to pressure the government and the press to sack the CEC over alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls.

During the Monday protest, the traders raised the slogan, “20,000 vaipariyo ki ik hi pukar, Diwali ke baad kijiye rally ka vichar (20,000 traders have one appeal: hold the rally after Diwali)”.

Goyal, chairman of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), said the November 1 rally could severely affect wholesale markets as Congress has been claiming that around 10 lakh people are expected to attend the event. “We will write to leaders of all the parties in the INDIA bloc, urging them to hear our sentiments and postpone the rally,” he mentioned.

“Business will be heavily impacted because, as reports suggest, 10 lakh people might gather at Ramlila Maidan, whereas its actual capacity is around 50,000,” Goyal said.

Referring to a gathering at Jantar Mantar on October 10, he claimed that the presence of around 2,000 to 4,000 people had led to metro station closures, barricading and restrictions, forcing more than 20 major markets to shut down.

Goyal said a rally of the anticipated scale could affect more than 20 major wholesale hubs within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Chawri Bazar, Daryaganj and Kashmere Gate.

Separately, Paramjeet Singh Pamma, president of the Sadar Bazar Bari Market Trade Association, also urged the Congress leadership to postpone the rally.

Pamma said major wholesale markets, including Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Fatehpuri and Azad Market, witness a heavy influx of traders and buyers from Delhi and other states during the festive season.