Kamla Market Shopkeepers Warn of Losses Over Opposition Rally

Shopkeepers in Kamla Market, one of Delhi's historic trading hubs, have voiced alarm over an upcoming opposition rally at Ramlila Maidan. On Saturday, traders affiliated with the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) placed posters outside their stores to protest the INDIA bloc's 'Delhi Chalo' event scheduled for November 1.

The posters bore the message, 'Do not close the shop of love in the market of politics,' a play on the Congress party's well-known slogan. The traders hope the message will prompt Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to shift the rally elsewhere. The rally is being held to protest alleged irregularities in the electoral process linked to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

CTI president Brijesh Goyal explained that the campaign was meant to reach Rahul Gandhi directly. He noted that the association had written to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge three times without receiving the agreement they sought.

Goyal said the shops, many of which are nearly 300 years old, have long served generations of customers. He added that fear had begun to spread across the area by evening, as crowds of around one million people and large numbers of vehicles were expected.

Logistics operators and traders are particularly concerned about whether goods can still be loaded and unloaded during the event. Goyal warned that if barricades forced shops to shut, losses to Delhi's business sector could exceed Rs 10,000 crore.

Distancing the traders from politics, Goyal said they had no association with the rally or any party. He affirmed that democracy grants citizens the right to protest, and that the traders' concern was limited to the timing and location of the event.

With Dhanteras only four days away, he said, the impact would extend across markets from Chandni Chowk to Karol Bagh, including freight movement. Earlier on Saturday, the CTI had also written to INDIA bloc leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray, urging them to reconsider holding the rally in the capital on November 1.