Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 30: Ahead of the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has urged former Congress president Sonia Gandhi to intervene and seek postponement of the event, warning that business activities across Delhi could be severely disrupted during the festive season.
In a letter to Sonia Gandhi, the trade body said an atmosphere of panic prevailed among nearly 20 lakh traders in Delhi, as business could come to a standstill on October 31 and November 1. The CTI had earlier written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, raising similar concerns.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said Ramlila Maidan was surrounded by around 20 major wholesale markets within a five-kilometre radius. These markets dispatch goods worth crores of rupees every day to destinations across the country and abroad.
He questioned the feasibility of accommodating an estimated 10 lakh rally participants at a venue with a capacity of only 50,000, warning that such a large gathering could overwhelm transport and other infrastructure.
Goyal said Delhi's trade sector had already suffered losses of around Rs 3,000 crore over the past 25 days and estimated that the proposed rally could cause an additional loss of Rs 10,000 crore.
Other traders' associations, including the Federation of Sadar Bazar Trades Association and Kirana Committee Delhi, have also sought intervention from political leaders to postpone the rally until after Diwali. They have raised concerns over business and traffic disruptions in major wholesale markets during the peak festive shopping period.
In letters to leaders whose parties are part of the INDIA bloc, the associations highlighted that trade worth around Rs 25,000 crore takes place in Delhi between Dhanteras and Diwali. They said protests, rallies and traffic restrictions during September and October had already resulted in losses estimated at Rs 3,000 crore.
The associations warned that another large gathering during the festive season could lead to additional losses of up to Rs 10,000 crore. They pointed out that major commercial centres, including Sadar Bazaar, Khari Baoli and Chandni Chowk, fall within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan.
Urging the INDIA bloc leadership to reschedule the rally until after Diwali on November 8, the traders said political programmes could be held at a later date, but businesses could not afford to lose sales during one of the most important trading periods of the year.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc is scheduled to hold a 'public impeachment' proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30 at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. The proceeding is linked to alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Following the event, the bloc plans to organise a 'Dilli Chalo March' against alleged 'vote chori', culminating in a rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.