INDIA Bloc Rally: Delhi Traders Warn of Rs 10,000-12,000 Crore Business Loss, 2.5 Lakh Shops May Shut

New Delhi: Delhi's trading community has raised concerns over the economic impact of the INDIA bloc's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, warning that around 2.5 lakh shops within a five-kilometre radius of the venue may remain closed and business activity could decline by nearly 80 per cent.

The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) said the rally could severely disrupt commercial activity, transportation and the movement of goods across Central and Old Delhi, particularly at a time when markets are witnessing heavy footfall ahead of Dhanteras and Diwali.

The traders' organisation estimated that the disruption could affect business worth Rs 10,000-12,000 crore across around 20 major markets. It also warned that the movement of goods within a 10-kilometre radius of the rally venue could be severely affected.

The CTI has written a fourth letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, expressing concern over the potential impact of the gathering on traders and their businesses.

The organisation acknowledged Gandhi's video appeal urging rally participants to visit Delhi's markets and support local traders. However, it said the situation on the ground was creating considerable anxiety among shopkeepers and customers, making such an appeal difficult to implement.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said that of the approximately three lakh shops operating in markets within five kilometres of Ramlila Maidan, nearly 2.5 lakh were expected to remain closed.

"When the shops themselves will remain closed, where will the people attending the rally go for shopping?" he asked.

Rejecting suggestions that traders were opposing the rally for political reasons or acting on behalf of the BJP, Goyal said around 100 prominent market associations had appealed for the event to be postponed to protect their businesses during the peak festive season.

"We are traders, not BJP agents. These 100 major market associations are not agents of any political party. They are traders of Delhi, and their business is trade, not politics. We are neither in favour of nor against any political party. We were only appealing to protect our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season," he said.

The traders' body also expressed concern over disruptions to the supply chain. Goyal said nearly 5,000 trucks and tempos carrying merchandise from 56 industrial areas, including Narela, Bawana, Okhla, Mayapuri, Mundka and Udyog Nagar, normally supply goods to these markets every day.

With loading and unloading operations likely to be affected, traders fear that merchandise intended for the Dhanteras shopping rush could remain stranded in warehouses.

"The entire supply chain has been disrupted today. Goods meant for the Dhanteras season are lying in warehouses and cannot reach the shops," Goyal said.

The disruption could also discourage customers from neighbouring cities and towns, including Sonipat, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Meerut, Bahadurgarh and Jhajjar, from travelling to Delhi for festive shopping because of anticipated traffic congestion and market closures.

Goyal further questioned the arrangements for accommodating the estimated 15,000-20,000 buses, cars and tempos expected to transport rally participants. He warned that parking and vehicle movement along JLN Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, Ajmeri Gate and Chandni Chowk Road could cause major traffic congestion across Central and Old Delhi.

According to the CTI, the livelihoods of approximately 20 lakh traders and 75 lakh people associated with the city's trading ecosystem could be affected by the disruption.

With Dhanteras scheduled for November 6 and Diwali for November 8, November 1 is considered an important day for festive purchases and business preparations.

Reiterating that it was not opposed to the opposition rally, the CTI urged the organisers to ensure that commercial activity and public movement were not disrupted.

"We are saying once again that we are not against the rally. Hold your rally, but not at the cost of the Diwali business of 20 markets. Rahul Gandhi ji, you are asking people to visit markets, but when the markets and shops are closed, transportation is stalled, and roads are blocked, where will the people attending the rally go shopping? First, ensure that the roads remain open," the organisation said in its appeal.

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