Traders Upset Over Mega-Rally at Ramlila Maidan; CTI Chairman Tells Rahul Gandhi: “Don’t Let Your Politics Shut Down Our ‘Shops of Love'”

New Delhi: With Diwali just around the corner, traders in the capital have voiced their frustration over a planned mega-rally at Ramlila Maidan. The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), the apex body of Delhi’s traders and entrepreneurs, made a direct appeal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday.

“You often say you run a ‘shop of love’ in a ‘market of hate.’ Our shops, too, are built on mutual trust, affection and love for our customers. We urge you not to let our ‘shops of love,’ and our livelihoods, become casualties of your rally during Diwali, India’s biggest festival and its peak trading season,” the body said.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said the posters were meant to hold up a mirror to Gandhi. “While you speak of opening ‘shops of love’ during your Bharat Jodo Yatra, your rally is effectively forcing the closure of our 300-year-old ‘shops of love’ in Delhi,” he said.

Goyal pointed to the many trades that define the city’s old markets: the parathas of Chandni Chowk, the spices of Khari Baoli, the bangles and bindis of Sadar Bazar, the lehengas of Chandni Chowk, the air-conditioning trade of Daryaganj, the sanitary goods of Chawri Bazar, and the famed kulfi of Karol Bagh. “These are all, in essence, ‘shops of love,'” he said, adding that each establishment supports the livelihoods of 10 to 20 family members.

Poster Campaign Across 20 Markets

The CTI announced that, starting Saturday, the posters will be displayed in 20 major wholesale markets within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan. These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Naya Bazar, Chawri Bazar, Kashmiri Gate, Daryaganj, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Nabi Karim, Paharganj, Ajmeri Gate, Lahori Gate, Janpath, Palika Bazar, Ballimaran and Kinari Bazar.

Because these markets surround Ramlila Maidan, they would be the first to shut down if 10 lakh (1 million) people and 20,000 vehicles arrive for the rally, the CTI said.

Goyal asked what would happen if a gathering of 10 lakh people were held at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, just days before Dhanteras, noting that the ground cannot even accommodate parking for 100 buses. According to him, business worth ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 crore, involving 20 lakh (2 million) traders, would come to a complete standstill, affecting the livelihoods of 75 lakh (7.5 million) people.