Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP of Forcibly Closing Shops in Connaught Place

New Delhi, November 1 (Daily Kiran) : In a recent video message shared on the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Congress MP, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcibly shutting down shops in Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Gandhi urged supporters to shop in the area ahead of the upcoming march and rally, only to discover that all shops had been closed by BJP officials. “We told everyone to come here and shop, but upon arriving at Connaught Place, we found that the BJP had shut down all the stores. Who is suffering the loss? Understand this,” he stated in his video.

The gathering in Connaught Place included several prominent leaders, such as Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had called on people via X to join the rally, encouraging them to shop in Delhi’s markets. He wrote, “Come to Connaught Place, let’s walk together or meet directly at Ramleela Maidan.”

On the morning of the rally, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) sent a fourth letter to Gandhi, highlighting the unprecedented crisis facing Delhi’s businesses due to the event. The CTI warned that around 250,000 shops could remain closed and that transport would be completely halted within a 10-kilometer radius of Ramleela Maidan, potentially affecting 80% of commerce in the area.

While Gandhi has encouraged rally attendees to support local businesses, the CTI asserts that the reality on the ground tells a different story.