Delhi wholesale merchants have written to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee urging them to ask the Congress to move the INDIA alliance rally from 1 November to after 10 November, citing the peak Diwali trading period.
A letter from the Federation of Sadar Bazar Traders Association warned that wholesalers lost business worth Rs 3,000 crore during protests and traffic disruptions in September and October. The association estimates that a large rally at the height of Diwali shopping could cause a loss exceeding Rs 10,000 crore, while wholesale markets normally handle Rs 25,000 crore of trade from Dhanteras to Diwali.
The Kirana Committee Delhi submitted identical letters to both political leaders, pointing out that at least twenty wholesale markets lie within a five‑kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan, the proposed rally venue. The committee argues that the event would directly affect trade activities across these markets.
Organisers plan the rally to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and to protest alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Ganga Bishan Gupta, president of the Kirana Committee based in Khari Baoli near Chandni Chowk, wrote that the livelihoods of millions of small businesses and workers should not be sacrificed for political reasons. He requested a postponement until after Diwali, emphasizing that political events can be rescheduled but lost sales during the festive season cannot be recovered.
The merchants expressed confidence that the INDIA alliance will understand the gravity of the situation and convey their concerns to the Congress leadership, hoping that business interests will be prioritised over political agendas.
Image: mangalorean.com
📰 Source: Mangalorean News