Delhi traders’ pre-rally loss warnings resurface after Rahul Gandhi alleges Connaught Place shops shut on Nov 1

Delhi traders’ repeated appeals to postpone the ‘Chalo Delhi’ march over fears of festive-season losses have become a political flashpoint after Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcibly shutting shops in Connaught Place. Gandhi made the allegation on Sunday, 1 November, while heading to the INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan.

The rally was organised to protest alleged electoral irregularities, including concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Rahul Gandhi alleges forced shop closures; Jairam Ramesh thanks traders

In a video shared on his social media account, Gandhi said, "We told everyone that when you come here for the march and the mega rally, buy things, do some shopping. But while coming to Connaught Place here, we found out that the BJP has forcibly shut down every single shop. So, you should know who is causing the loss to the traders, and how it's happening!"

Following the rally, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the BJP on Monday. In a post on X, he wrote, "To defame the INDIA alliance's mega rally and dissuade people from coming to Delhi, fears were spread about losses to traders and markets shutting down. Everyone could understand that when people come from across the country, they would also go shopping. Every business operating in Delhi would benefit, directly or indirectly."

He further argued that people from Delhi and across the country had joined the protests and responded to what he described as the BJP's smear campaign in their own way.

"In response to Rahul Gandhi ji's appeal, people went shopping in Delhi's markets. Shops in the wholesale markets of Old Delhi opened, and business boomed. On top of that, people bought goods in abundance from small shopkeepers and street vendors too. Newspaper reports themselves are exposing the falsehood of this fake narrative."

"Heartfelt thanks to the traders, shopkeepers, and all those citizens of Delhi who embraced this appeal and stood with local business alongside democratic protest," Ramesh added.

According to media reports, parts of Connaught Place remained closed for several hours on Sunday morning ahead of the march, which was scheduled for noon. Vehicles carrying rally participants occupied parking spaces, while shops that remained open saw few customers.

What did traders say after the rally?

According to ANI, Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI) chairman Brijesh Goyal claimed on Sunday, 1 November, that the capital's trading sector suffered estimated losses of ₹10,000–11,000 crore due to disruptions caused by the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan.

Goyal attributed the closures largely to apprehension over the expected crowds and vehicles. He said his assessment was based on updates received through traders’ WhatsApp groups.

He said, “Due to the rally held at Ramlila Maidan today, about 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity were affected. These historic markets house approximately 3,00,000 shops. Based on data we received this evening from various WhatsApp groups comprising traders from different markets under the CTA (Confederation of All India Traders), about 80% of these shops-roughly 2,50,000 out of 3,00,000-remained closed today.”

He added, "The movement of goods-loading and unloading-was completely disrupted. During the peak Diwali season, these markets with individual turnovers collectively generate business worth approximately 10,000 to 12,000 crore rupees. Even where shops remained open, sales were virtually non-existent; there were simply no customers."

Speaking specifically about Connaught Place, New Delhi Traders Association president Atul Bhargava told NDTV, "Once again, Connaught Place is bearing the brunt of these rallies, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear among customers who are reluctant to visit the market."

He added, "We need a court order that no rally, protest, or march can originate, culminate, and pass through CP, as this is affecting our right to a livelihood."

Traders had sought postponement before the rally

The post-rally complaints followed repeated appeals by traders’ associations to INDIA bloc leaders to reschedule the gathering until after the festive season. Goyal said CTI had approached Gandhi three times, but the date remained unchanged.

The association estimated that the disruption could affect daily trade worth ₹10,000–12,000 crore across 20 wholesale and retail markets in central and Old Delhi. Goyal maintained that CTI was not against the rally itself but was concerned that the anticipated arrival of 10 lakh people and 15,000–20,000 vehicles could halt business activity.

BJP leaders hit out at INDIA bloc over business disruption

BJP leaders cited traders' concerns while criticising the rally, accusing Congress of ignoring postponement requests and disrupting business during the festive season.

JP Nadda alleged that Gandhi and Congress had organised the rally during the festive season to "cripple" the capital and "strike" at the livelihoods of small shopkeepers and traders, while creating an "atmosphere of riots and violence” in the country, PTI reported.

He added, "It is the festive season. It is Dhanteras, Diwali, Chhath Puja. Throughout the year, our small traders, street vendors, shopkeepers wait for it for some earnings during these festivals. But Rahul Gandhi does not care about the stoves burning in traders’ homes. He only wants to ignite the fire of his politics."

Home Minister Amit Shah also criticised the INDIA bloc for ignoring traders’ requests to postpone the rally, accusing it of disregarding the business community’s concerns ahead of the festive season.