Photo: Hemant banswal / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A leading traders’ body in Delhi has asked the Congress to call off or move the INDIA bloc’s “Chalo Dilli” rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, warning that a huge crowd in the heart of the city a week before Diwali could bring 20 major markets to a halt. The appeal came as Delhi Police finalised plans to deploy more than 3,000 personnel and over 200 CCTV cameras at the venue.
What the traders want
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) wrote to Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Thursday after, it said, three earlier letters to Rahul Gandhi and one to party president Mallikarjun Kharge. Its chairman, Brijesh Goyal, said the body was not against the protest itself, only its timing, with Dhanteras on November 6 and Diwali on November 8.
We are not opposing the rally; we are making a heartfelt plea to protect our livelihoods during the peak Diwali season.
Brijesh Goyal, CTI chairman
The CTI offered two options: hold the rally on November 10-11 or later, or shift it to Burari Ground in north Delhi, which it said has parking for about 15,000 vehicles. Its letter estimates that business worth ₹10,000-12,000 crore could be affected in wholesale and retail hubs within about 5 km of the venue, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Bhagirath Palace, Chawri Bazar, Dariba Kalan, Karol Bagh and Connaught Place.
The traders’ main worry is the movement of goods. According to the CTI, about 5,000 trucks and tempos bring stock to these markets daily from 56 industrial areas such as Narela, Bawana, Okhla and Mundka. It said Ramlila Maidan cannot hold the 15,000-20,000 vehicles it expects, so buses could spill onto JLN Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Netaji Subhash Marg, and claimed some transporters were already reluctant to send vehicles from October 31.
Police expect a far smaller crowd
The Congress has said around 10 lakh people could attend, but Delhi Police have put the likely turnout at about 50,000. The ground has been split into 14 zones, each under an Assistant Commissioner of Police, with eight entry gates, control rooms, body-worn cameras and AI-enabled surveillance, an officer from the Central district said. Police were to meet the organisers on Friday to settle parking, entry points and expected numbers.
The police permission requires organisers to install high-definition cameras at gates, the stage and seating areas, arrange water and toilets, and end the event by 5 pm. It is the first big demonstration at Ramlila Maidan since Jantar Mantar was de-notified as a protest site on October 11.
Why the rally is happening
The opposition bloc is protesting against the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and is demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi has described it as a march to “stop vote theft” and has invited people beyond party lines to join. A separate opposition event billed as a “public impeachment” of the CEC has been moved to October 31 at Kharge’s residence after permission problems at other venues.
What happens next
With less than two days to go, the traders said they were still waiting for a reply from the Congress leadership. A grocers’ group, the Kirana Committee (Delhi), has made a similar appeal to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Delhi Traffic Police have said special arrangements are in place in the Central Range for the expected turnout.
