Traders and BJP Urge Rahul Gandhi to Postpone Delhi Rally
Rahul Gandhi faces pressure from trade bodies and the BJP to reschedule a November 1 protest rally in New Delhi to avoid festive disruptions and Sikh sensitivities.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have called on Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to postpone a planned INDIA bloc rally scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. The rally aims to protest alleged electoral roll irregularities and demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over what the opposition calls vote chori.
CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal requested in a letter that the event be moved to after November 10 to protect the peak festive shopping season, including Dhanteras, Diwali, and Bhai Dooj. The trade body warns the rally could cause losses of Rs 10,000 crore and disrupt 20 wholesale and retail markets, noting that traders already lost approximately Rs 3,000 crore in October due to central Delhi protests.
Simultaneously, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the timing of the rally, alleging that holding the event on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots deliberately insults the Sikh community. While the BJP highlighted its efforts to compensate riot victims, the Congress party expects approximately 10 lakh people to attend the march to protect the Constitution.
