Trade Group Urges India to Ban Central Delhi Protests

The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has requested that the Indian government ban large-scale protests in the commercial areas of central Delhi from Navratri until Diwali. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal argued that demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, and Lutyens' Delhi cause traffic congestion and metro closures that severely hinder trade.

CTI reports a sharp decline in business activity, stating that market activity has fallen by approximately 70% over three days. Daily visitors to Delhi markets have dropped from 300,000 to between 40,000 and 50,000. To mitigate these disruptions, the organization proposed establishing a permanent protest zone outside the city center, suggesting Burari or Ramlila Maidan as alternatives.

These demands come ahead of a planned protest on October 10 by the Cockroach Janata Party, which is calling for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.