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Delhi Traders Fear Festive Losses, Seek Rally Postponement (Img: IANS)
New Delhi: The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has urged Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to postpone the INDIA bloc’s protest rally scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, warning that the event could disrupt festive-season business worth thousands of crores.
In a letter to the Congress leader, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal estimated that the rally could result in business losses of up to Rs 10,000 crore during the peak festive period. He said Delhi records substantial trade during the Dhanteras-Diwali season and claimed that traders had already suffered losses of up to Rs 3,000 crore in October because of protests and the preventive measures that followed.
The INDIA bloc is planning a ‘Delhi Chalo March’ at Ramlila Maidan to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Goyal highlighted the importance of the festive shopping season, pointing out that several major wholesale and retail markets lie within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan. These include Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar, where traffic restrictions and security arrangements could affect the movement of traders and customers.
The CTI’s latest appeal follows concerns raised earlier this month by traders over repeated rallies and heavy security deployment, particularly in areas such as Connaught Place. Business owners have reported a decline in customer footfall during demonstrations.
New Delhi Traders’ Association president Atul Bhargava had last week said, “Staging a protest is their (CJP’s) right, but having a livelihood is also our right. We don’t have any problems with a protest. Our market was open, but due to (Friday’s) protest, many people shut their shops and others who didn’t, reported low footfall.”
#Watch: The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written a letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi seeking postponement of the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan until after November 10, warning of a major hit to Diwali-season business, estimated at Rs 10,000 crore.
#CTI #Delhi #Traders #RahulGandhi #DiwaliSeason #Business
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 24, 2026
The issue also came before the Supreme Court on October 16. During the hearing, the court warned that it could invoke its constitutional tort jurisdiction to award compensation if protests in Delhi disproportionately obstructed traders and daily-wage earners from earning their livelihoods.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi expressed hope that “better sense will prevail” and that the interests of protesters, traders and authorities would be balanced.
In its letter, the CTI said it “fully respects” democratic values and the right to peaceful protest. However, it urged political parties to avoid organising rallies and demonstrations during the crucial festive period, particularly in the “period leading up to and including Dhanteras (November 6), Diwali (November 8), and Bhai Dooj (November 10).”
Goyal said Delhi’s festive trade was worth Rs 25,000 crore, describing it as the “backbone” of the Capital’s economy.
“People begin their shopping for Dhanteras and Diwali a week in advance. On the occasion of Dhanteras alone, Delhi sees business worth approximately Rs 25,000 crore across various sectors, including gold and silver, utensils, electronics, textiles, dry fruits, sweets, automobiles, vehicles, real estate, and gift items,” Goyal said.
He claimed traders had already lost up to Rs 3,000 crore in October “due to frequent rallies, marches, and road closures in areas like Connaught Place, India Gate, and Central Delhi.” He attributed the losses to disruptions in the supply of goods to wholesale markets and difficulties faced by customers trying to reach commercial areas.
The CTI also warned that the rally could disrupt business in several established wholesale and retail hubs near Ramlila Maidan, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Jama Masjid, Jhandewalan and Karol Bagh.
Goyal said traffic diversions and possible Metro closures could hamper business operations across these markets.
The traders’ body also raised concerns about the proximity of Old Delhi and New Delhi railway stations to the protest venue, noting that large numbers of traders and buyers use the stations daily.
“Every day, hundreds of thousands of traders and buyers travel through these stations. During the rally, the closure of routes and the resulting overcrowding could cause significant hardship for those travelling to or from outside Delhi,” Goyal said in the letter to Gandhi.
