Traders Protest Against Delhi Chalo Rally, Accuse Rahul Gandhi of Ignoring Concerns
Traders in New Delhi protest against the upcoming rally, expressing fears of financial loss and urging Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the location.
New Delhi, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Traders affiliated with the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) protested on Saturday against the upcoming ‘Delhi Chalo’ rally at Ramleela Maidan. They expressed concerns over potential financial losses by placing posters outside shops in Kamla Market, New Delhi.
The posters featured slogans like, “Don’t close the shop of love in the market of politics.” Their aim was to urge Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, to change the rally’s location. This rally is organized to protest alleged electoral irregularities against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
CTI President Brijesh Goyal stated, “We have initiated this poster campaign near Ramleela Maidan to send a message to Rahul Gandhi. We have written to him and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge three times, but they have not agreed.” He added that they wanted to convey their message that their “shop of love” should not be closed due to political events.
Goyal noted that these historic shops are nearly 300 years old and that anxiety has started to spread among shopkeepers. Reports suggest that around 1 million people and a large number of vehicles are expected to arrive for the rally. Shopkeepers and those involved in goods transportation are worried about the loading and unloading of their products.
He further warned that if shopkeepers are forced to close due to barricades, the city could face losses exceeding ₹10,000 crore. Goyal emphasized that while traders have no ties to the rally or any political party, they object to the timing and location of the protest.
With the festive season approaching, he remarked, “There are only four days left until Dhanteras, and the businesses from Chandni Chowk to Karol Bagh will be affected, including goods transport.” Goyal reiterated their appeal to Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the rally’s timing, stating, “Since he has not responded to our previous letters, we are here once again to ask him not to close our shop of love.”
Earlier on Saturday, the CTI reached out to leaders from various political parties, including Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Mamata Banerjee of the Trinamool Congress, Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, and Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena-UBT, urging them to reconsider the decision to hold the rally in the national capital on November 1.
