Delhi traders seek ban on protests until November 11
The Chamber of Trade and Industry claims demonstrations caused Rs 14,000 crore in losses to the city's trading community over the last month.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner on Tuesday seeking a ban on rallies, marches, and sit-ins across the national capital until November 11. According to a report by The Times of India, the trade body requested that police deny permission for such events in areas including Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, India Gate, and Old Delhi.
The CTI stated that demonstrations held during the past month resulted in estimated losses of Rs 14,000 crore for Delhi's traders. The organisation argued that these disruptions restricted customer movement and affected business activity during the festive season.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal previously estimated that a rally held by the INDIA bloc at Ramlila Maidan caused losses of Rs 10,000-11,000 crore. Goyal claimed that approximately 2.5 lakh of the nearly three lakh shops in 20-25 major markets near the site were closed.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh disputed these figures, alleging the BJP spread a false narrative to discredit the rally. He claimed traders benefited from visitors arriving from across the country.
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of forcibly shutting down shops in Connaught Place before the rally. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also criticised the opposition for holding the event ahead of Diwali despite requests from traders to postpone it.