Traders flag concern over Rahul Gandhi's Nov 1 rally in Delhi amid festive season; cite Rs 4,000 crore loss

New Delhi: Trade bodies and traders in the national capital have raised concerns on Saturday over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's proposed rally on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan amid the festive season, saying repeated protests and road blockades in recent months have already impacted business.

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal told IANS that trade in Delhi has suffered a loss of about Rs 4,000 crore due to protests and rallies in recent months. He said October to January is the most crucial trading period of the year for traders.

"A large number of wholesale buyers and traders come to Delhi from other states, but when traffic is affected due to rallies and protests, many avoid coming to Delhi. Postponing the proposed rally would be in the interest of trade and business," he said.

"Due to protests, agitations and similar activities in Delhi in recent days, there has been a loss of about Rs 4,000 crore. This is the festive season for Delhi traders, when sales from October to January outweigh sales of the rest of the year. Rahul Gandhi holding another rally will definitely affect our business and cause losses to traders," Khandelwal told IANS.

Atul Bhargav, President, New Delhi Traders Association, told IANS that traders in Delhi have been facing difficult conditions for several months. Markets have been impacted since July due to various reasons and there is also a dispute over the protest site around Jantar Mantar. He said traders' concern over the programme proposed by Congress and other parties on November 1 is natural.

"We humbly urge all political parties and protesters not to hold any such event till Diwali that affects markets. We are trying to bring back customer footfall and recover from earlier losses. We have already invested for the festive season and the next four months are the most important business period of the year for us," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has written to Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi requesting that the rally proposed on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan be held after November 10, citing the peak Diwali business season.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said the rally could disrupt business for 3-4 days and impact trade worth up to Rs 10,000 crore, as around 20 major wholesale and retail markets fall within a 5 km radius of the venue.

CTI said Delhi traders have already suffered a loss of about Rs 3,000 crore in October due to rallies and road closures.

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