NEW DELHI: As thousands of people gathered at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on Sunday for the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ rally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged participants to support local traders by shopping from their stores during the festive season. His appeal came after traders’ associations opposed the November 1 rally, warning that the gathering could disrupt business in the capital’s key commercial markets.In a video message posted on X late on Saturday, Gandhi appealed to people travelling to Delhi from different parts of the country to support small businesses by purchasing goods after attending the rally. He said the gathering would not hurt traders and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading rumours about its economic impact.“Tomorrow, lakhs of people are coming to Delhi for the Ramlila March. It is the festive season. The time of Diwali, Chhath, and Bhai Dooj has arrived. I want those lakhs of people coming to Delhi from outside to support the traders here,” Gandhi said.“Protest, march, hold rallies, and along with that, do a little shopping too – it will benefit the traders,” he added.Reiterating his appeal, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said: “I know the rally will not harm the traders. The BJP is scared, that’s why it’s spreading rumours.”“But let’s do both. Tomorrow there will be a march, there will be a rally, and lakhs of people will buy goods from the small shops of our traders,” he said, while extending Diwali greetings.
Traders flag festive-season business losses
Gandhi’s appeal follows representations by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) and the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association, which had urged him and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi to defer the November 1 rally until after the festive season.In its letter, CTI warned that an estimated 10 lakh participants and 15,000-20,000 vehicles could trigger severe traffic congestion across central Delhi’s commercial markets.“We demand to reschedule the mega-rally of 1 million (10 lakh) people, planned for November 1, to a date after Diwali; lack of parking for 15,000–20,000 vehicles could lead to a total gridlock, akin to a lockdown,” the traders’ body said.
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The Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association also highlighted the financial stakes, stating that the period from Dhanteras to Diwali accounts for an estimated business turnover of around Rs 25,000 crore. It warned that disruption could affect shopkeepers, workers, delivery personnel and other people dependent on the festive trade.The association urged Rahul to take up the concerns of Delhi’s trading community with the Congress leadership and seek a postponement of the rally until after November 10, so businesses could complete their festive-season operations without disruption.The INDIA bloc rally, however, is being held at Ramlila Maidan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters gathering at the venue have raised slogans including “Vote chor, gaddi chhod”, demanding accountability over alleged electoral irregularities.
