Congress Ramlila Maidan Rally: In a fresh letter to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) urged him to postpone his proposed mega rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The traders' body reiterated that the local businesses will suffer massive loss ahead of Diwali due to the large gathering. In his letter, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal stated that the business representatives seek a 20-minute meeting with Gandhi to discuss their concerns.
Traders Seek Meeting With Rahul
In his letter, Goyal emphasized that a meeting of 20 minutes with Rahul Gandhi could help them convince the Congress leader to postpone his rally. "We don't want a fight; we want dialogue. Rahul ji himself says that he listens to everyone, listens to the voice of small traders. So, we traders from 20 markets are asking him for 20 minutes. This will be the beauty of democracy," Goyal asserted.
This was CTI's second letter to the Congress leader in the past four days. Earlier on Tuesday, the traders' body highlighted that around 10 lakh people are likely to participate in the rally. It further stated that the protesters will travel in around 20,000 buses, pointing out that the movement will choke the region. The organization stated that the customers will not be able to move freely, further suggesting Congress relocate the rally.
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What CTI Claimed?
The CTI stated that several prominent markets, including Chandni Chowk, Bhagirath Palace, Khari Baoli, Sadar Bazaar, Chawri Bazaar, Kashmere Gate, Nabi Karim, Karol Bagh, Ajmeri Gate, Daryaganj, Nai Sarak, Kinari Bazaar, Dariba Kalan, Fatehpuri, Lahori Gate, Filmistan, Paharganj, Gaffar Market, Jama Masjid, Lajpat Rai Market, and Naya Bazaar, will suffer loss due to the mega rally.
The organization also pointed out that gatherings of around 4,000 people at Jantar Mantar severely affected the local businesses in the central Delhi region.
Rahul Gandhi's Suggestion
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi had earlier alleged that the demonstration could end in just 30 seconds if Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar was removed from his post. The opposition has been protesting against the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.