Delhi traders' pre-rally warning of losses losses resurface after Rahul Gandhi claims Connaught Place closed shops Nov 1

Repeated calls by Delhi shopkeepers to postpone the ‘Chalo Delhi’ march due to fears of losses during the festive season became a political flashpoint after Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcefully shutting down shops in Connaught Place. Gandhi made the allegation on Sunday, November 1, while addressing an INDIA Bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan.

The demonstration was organized to protest alleged electoral irregularities, including concerns over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls, and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Read also | ’10+ Lakh turnout’: Rahul Gandhi leads INDIA Bloc rally against Gyanesh Kumar

Rahul Gandhi blames forced closure of shops; Jairam Ramesh thanks the traders

In a video shared on his social media account, Gandhi said, “We told everyone that when you come here for the march and the mega rally, buy things, do some shopping. But when we came here to Connaught Place, we found that BJP has forcibly closed every single shop. So you should know who is causing loss to the traders and how it is happening!”

After the rally, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the BJP on Monday. In a post on X, he wrote: “To tarnish the INDIA alliance mega rally and discourage people from coming to Delhi, fears of loss of traders and closure of markets were spread. Everyone understood that when people come from all over the country, they will also go shopping. Every business operating in Delhi would benefit, directly or indirectly.”

He further claimed that the people of Delhi and across the country joined the protests and responded to what he described as BJP’s smear campaign in their own way.

“Responding to Rahul Gandhi ji’s appeal, people went shopping in the markets of Delhi. Shops opened in the wholesale markets of Old Delhi and business flourished. Moreover, people bought goods in large numbers from small traders and street vendors. The newspaper itself exposes the falsity of this fake story.”

“My heartiest thanks to the businessmen, shopkeepers and all citizens of Delhi who took up this challenge and stood with local businesses in the democratic protest,” Ramesh added.

According to media reports, parts of Connaught Place remained closed for several hours on Sunday morning ahead of the march, which was scheduled for noon. Vehicles carrying rally participants took up parking spaces, while shops that remained open saw few customers.

What did traders say after the rally?

According to ANI, Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CTI) Chairman Brijesh Goyal on Sunday, November 1, claimed that the capital’s business sector suffered an estimated loss of Rs. ₹10,000-11,000 crore due to the disruption caused by the INDIA Bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan.

Goyal attributed the closure largely to concerns about the expected crowds and vehicles. He said his rating was based on updates received through business WhatsApp groups.

Read also | Delhi traders seek delay in Rahul Gandhi’s November 1 rally: What letter MP said

He said, “Due to today’s gathering at Ramlila Maidan, about 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity have been affected. There are around 3,00,000 shops in these historic markets. Based on the data we received this evening from various WhatsApp groups involving traders from various markets under the CTA (Confederation of All India Traders), about 80% of these shops – around 2.5 lakh 3,00,000 – remained closed today.”

He added: “The movement of goods – loading and unloading – was completely disrupted. During the peak season of Diwali, these individual turnover markets together generate business worth around Rs 10,000-12,000 crore. Even where shops remained open, sales were virtually non-existent; there were simply no customers.”

Speaking specifically about Connaught Place, New Delhi Traders Association president Atul Bhargava told NDTV, “Connaught Place is once again bearing the brunt of these gatherings, creating an atmosphere of insecurity and fear among shoppers who are reluctant to visit the market.”

He added, “We need a court order that no rally, protest or march can arise, culminate and pass through the CP because it affects our right to livelihood.”

Before the rally, the traders demanded an adjournment

The complaints after the rally followed repeated calls by traders’ associations to INDIA bloc leaders to shift the rally to after the holidays. Goyal said CTI had approached Gandhi thrice but the date remained unchanged.

Read also | A body of Delhi traders write to Rahul Gandhi during the Ramlila march at the Maidan on November 1

The association estimated that the disruption could affect the daily value of trade ₹10,000-12,000 crore in 20 wholesale and retail markets in Central and Old Delhi. Goyal claimed that the CTI was not opposed to the rally itself, but was concerned that the expected arrival of 10 million people and 15,000–20,000 vehicles could halt business activities.

BJP leaders hit out at INDIA block over business interruption

BJP leaders cited traders’ concerns while criticizing the assembly, accusing the Congress of ignoring pleas for reprieve and disrupting business during the festive season.

JP Nadda alleged that Gandhi and the Congress organized rallies during the festive season to “paralyze” the capital and “hit” the livelihood of small businessmen and traders while creating an “atmosphere of unrest and violence” in the country, PTI reported.

He added, “It’s the festive season. It’s Dhanteras, Diwali, Chhath Puja. All year long, our small traders, street vendors, traders wait for some earnings during these festivals. But Rahul Gandhi doesn’t care about the stoves burning in traders’ houses. He just wants to light the fire of his politics.”

Home Minister Amit Shah also criticized the INDIA bloc for ignoring traders’ demands to postpone the assembly, accusing it of not heeding the concerns of the business community ahead of the festive season.

(with input from agencies)