The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, urging him to postpone the INDIA bloc’s protest rally scheduled for November 1 at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan.
We don’t have any problems with a protest. “People begin their shopping for Dhanteras and Diwali a week in advance. The CTI letter also noted that several historic wholesale and retail markets were located near the Ramlila Maidan. These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Jama Masjid, Jhandewalan, and Karol Bagh.
Our market was open, but due to (Friday’s) protest, many people shut their shops and others who didn’t, reported low footfall. He said that the traders had already incurred losses of up to ₹ 3,000 crore in October “due to frequent rallies, marches, and road closures in areas like Connaught Place, India Gate, and Central Delhi. Because of the disruption in the arrival of goods from outside into wholesale markets, as well as the customers’ inability to reach the markets, he added that this was.
In a letter to the Congress leader, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal has cited a potential business loss of ₹ 10,000 crore during the peak festive season if the protest takes place on the currently decided date. Goyal said that in total, Delhi sees business worth ₹ 25,000 during the festive period, and also claimed that traders had faced losses of up to ₹ 3,000 crore owing to the protests and subsequent preventive measures last month. However, it urged all political parties to refrain from organising protest rallies and demonstrations during the festive period in the “period leading up to and including Dhanteras (November 6), Diwali (November 8), and Bhai Dooj (November 10). On the occasion of Dhanteras alone, Delhi sees business worth approximately ₹ 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.
The letter reiterates concerns which were raised earlier this month by traders, who said repeated protests and heavy security deployment, especially in areas like Connaught Place, had led to businesses in the Capital facing a decrease in customer footfall. 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. In its letter, the CTI said that it “fully respects” democratic values and the right to peaceful protest. Goyal said that potential traffic diversions and metro closures owing to the rally could halt business operations in these markets.
