Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 3: The Chamber of Trade & Industry (CTI) has written to the Delhi Police requesting that rallies, sit-ins, protests and marches be prohibited in the national capital until November 11, citing heavy business losses caused by demonstrations during the festive season.
In its letter, the trade body urged the police not to permit such gatherings, particularly in areas including Connaught Place, Jantar Mantar, Ramlila Maidan, India Gate, Rajghat, Delhi Gate, Central Delhi and Old Delhi. The CTI claimed that trade organisations had suffered losses of around Rs 14,000 crore over the past month due to protests and rallies.
The demand follows the INDIA bloc rally held at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, which the CTI said severely affected wholesale and retail markets ahead of Diwali. The organisation had earlier estimated that traders suffered losses of around Rs 12,000 crore because of the rally.
The CTI reportedly wrote four separate letters to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on October 24, 27 and 28, and November 1, requesting him to postpone the rally or shift it to another venue to avoid disrupting festive trade. However, the rally went ahead as scheduled.
According to the trade body, around 2.5 lakh of the three lakh shops across 25 major wholesale and retail markets remained closed on November 1. Markets including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh and Kashmiri Gate were among those worst affected during the peak shopping period.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal told ANI that markets in the affected areas collectively generate business worth approximately Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore during the peak Diwali season. He claimed that even shops which remained open recorded virtually no sales because of the absence of customers, resulting in estimated losses of Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 11,000 crore for the trading sector.
Goyal questioned who would compensate traders for the losses, pointing out that the disruption occurred during the crucial festive shopping period, with Dhanteras approaching.