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Delhi traders' body claims up to ₹11,000 crore losses due to INDIA bloc's Ramlila Maidan rally
The CTI chairman claimed that about 80 per cent of the shops in Ramlila Maidan's vicinity was shut on Sunday, adding that transport operations were impacted.
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Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI) chairman Brijesh Goyal claimed on Sunday that Delhi's trading sector incurred an estimated loss of ₹10,000 to ₹11,000 crore due to the disruptions caused by the INDIA bloc's November 1 mega rally at Ramlila Maidan against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The CTI chairman's remarks after the traders' body wrote a fourth letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who led the mega rally, on Sunday morning. They had flagged concerns about the closure of shops and disruptions to transport services. The CTI had already urged postponing the rally until after Diwali.
Goyal said that about 80 per cent of the shops -- around 2.5 to 3 lakh -- in the vicinity of Ramlila Maidan remained closed on Sunday due to the "panic" spread over the past few days about 1 million people participating in the opposition bloc's rally.
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"Due to the rally held at Ramlila Maidan today, about 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity were affected. These historic markets house approximately 3,00,000 shops. Based on data we received this evening from various WhatsApp groups—comprising traders from different markets under the CTA (Confederation of All India Traders)—about 80% of these shops—roughly 2,50,000 out of 3,00,000—remained closed today. This was due to the panic that spread over the last few days, with reports suggesting that 1 million people and thousands of vehicles would arrive," Goyal told news agency ANI.
Not just the owners of the shops, but roughly three to four lakh customers, suppliers, and dealers who usually travel from small towns in and around Delhi also did not show up for business, Goyal claimed. The CTI chairman further said that around 5,000 vehicles transporting goods from various industrial areas and transport hubs in the national capital also could not function.
"Since the markets in Old Delhi and Central Delhi consist primarily of small shops rather than large warehouses, they rely on daily inward shipments from these industrial and transport hubs," he added.
Goyal claimed that the disruption to transport services caused by the INDIA bloc's rally also led to a "complete halt" in the movement of goods.
Loss of ₹10,000-11,000 crore, claims CTI head
Citing the peak Diwali season, Goyal stated that all these markets collectively generate a turnover of approximately ₹10,000-12,000 crore.
"Even where shops remained open, sales were virtually non-existent; there were simply no customers. As a result, the trading sector in Delhi has suffered a loss of roughly 10,000 to 11,000 crore rupees," Goyal said.
The CTI chairman raised several questions, asking who will compensate the traders for their losses.
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"This is a significant loss, especially given that the peak Diwali season was underway, with Dhanteras shopping just four days away. Furthermore, since Diwali falls on a Sunday—a day when traders typically visit their shops for cleaning and stock-taking—the losses incurred today are substantial," he added.
The traders' body's letter to Rahul Gandhi on Sunday came after the Leader of the Opposition called on citizens to participate in the INDIA bloc's rally and then shop in the nearby markets, a call that followed CTI's concerns about the event.
Earlier last month, after Rahul Gandhi announced the 'Chalo Dilli' march and the mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, the CTI had flagged concerns over parking as well. They had stated that Ramlila Maidan does not have the capacity to accommodate even 200 large buses, and that such a huge event could create lockdown-like conditions in central and old Delhi.
INDIA bloc's march and BJP vs Congress over traders
Leaders of the INDIA bloc, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav, held a 'Chalo Dilli' march against the alleged electoral irregularities and called for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation on Sunday. Their march began at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and culminated at Ramlila Maidan, where a mega rally was held.
The traders' concerns also turned into a political slugfest as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the INDIA bloc over its mega rally, accusing it of disrupting small businesses and attempting to sow political anarchy.
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Union home minister Amit Shah tore into Rahul Gandhi for not listening to the traders' concerns and holding their rally on Sunday.
"The traders held press conferences—not once, but three times—wrote letters, and implored them to hold their rally after Diwali. But no—they insisted on holding their rally on that very day—the same dark day when the anti-Sikh riots, the Sikh massacre, took place," he said.
Union minister JP Nadda also slammed Rahul Gandhi for showing little concern for small traders and businessmen during the festive season, saying the Congress-led INDIA bloc did not defer the rally despite repeated appeals by the CTI.
“The objective of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party is to paralyse Delhi during this sacred festive season, to strike a blow at the livelihoods of our small-scale shopkeepers and traders, and to incite an atmosphere of unrest and chaos in the country,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Meanwhile, LoP Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP forcibly shut down every single shop in Connaught Place. "So, you should know who is causing the loss to the traders, and how it's happening!" he said in a post on X.
Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury also rubbished the BJP's remarks that the opposition's rally would harm local businesses in Delhi, calling it "false rumours." She said the opposition leaders had called on people to shop for the festival season at local markets.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh contradicted the CTI chairman's remarks, claiming that the INDIA bloc's rally boosted sales for local businesses.
Ramesh alleged that the BJP was spreading fear of losses to traders and market shutdowns to defame the opposition's event. "Everyone could understand that when people come from across the country, they would also go shopping. Every business operating in Delhi would benefit, directly or indirectly," he said.
Ramesh further alleged that the BJP's "false and irrational smear campaign" was aimed at diverting attention from the issues of "vote theft" and to "save" CEC Gyanesh Kumar.
"But the exact opposite happened. The people of Delhi and those who came from across the country responded to this smear campaign in their own way. In response to Rahul Gandhi ji's appeal, people went shopping in Delhi's markets. Shops in the wholesale markets of Old Delhi opened, and business boomed," he said.
"The public will protect the right to vote, carry on with business, and demand accountability too," Ramesh added.
