With Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi refusing to budge, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) wrote to senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Friday, urging the party to postpone its proposed November 1 protest rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
The traders' body highlighted that it could impact business worth ₹10,000-12,000 crore across 20 markets in Delhi.
The opposition INDIA bloc’s planned demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar coincides with the peak Diwali shopping rush in New Delhi, where traders warn that an expected turnout of over 1 million people could paralyse market traffic.
The trade body warned of severe economic losses during the peak festive shopping season due to the rally.
With an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles expected to arrive in central Delhi, CTI pointed out that the rally would choke nearby roads with severe traffic congestion, disrupting the movement of goods and shoppers across major 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," CTI wrote in its letter to Sonia Gandhi.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal also added that they are not against the rally. "We are making a heartfelt plea to protect our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season," he said.
"These 20 markets are not merely marketplaces; they are the heartbeat of Delhi. They generate a daily turnover of ₹ 10,000 to 12,000 crore, and Dhanteras falls on November 6th. Traders are anxious...how will the goods for Dhanteras be transported in and out?," Goyal further added.
Highlighting concerns including parking space at Ramlila Maidan, sales disruption of 20 wholesale and retail markets within a 5-km radius of the venue, CTI urged postponement of the rally.
The markets to be affected include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Chawri Bazar, Dariba Kalan, Fatehpuri, Tilak Bazar, Ballimaran, Lajpat Rai Market and Gaffar Market.
The traders' body also warned that traffic restrictions could begin well before the rally. "Transporters had already begun refusing to send vehicles to the markets from October 31," CTI said.
Earlier, the CTI had suggested the Opposition change the protest venue to Burari Maidan if the date cannot be changed.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and organisation general secretary K. C. Venugopal inspected preparations at Ramlila Maidan ahead of the protest on Thursday evening.
The demonstration is scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm on November 1.
Around 3,500 police personnel would be deployed for security and crowd management, said Delhi Police.
