Hours before the Opposition's mega anti-SIR march and rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan to press for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation,
BJP MP and CAIT Secretary Praveen Khandelwal in a message to Rahul Gandhi said that the LoP must understand that Delhi's traders need customers visiting markets during the festive season and not crowds assembling for political rallies. Reacting to Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi's appeal to people coming to Delhi to participate in the Ramleela March and to also shop at local markets, Praveen Khandelwal, said, "the livelihoods of Delhi’s traders are not a political laboratory where you first disrupt their business activities and then suggest that people attending your rally should compensate for the losses by shopping. Creating a situation that obstructs access to markets and then advising people to shop cannot be a substitute for understanding the genuine concerns of traders."
Raising businesses concerns impacted during political protests, Confederation of All India Traders - Secretary General Khandelwal said that suggesting that marches and rallies would continue while participants would also shop at small local stores does not address the actual problems faced by Delhi’s trading community. Business does not run merely on symbolic purchases by a section of rally participants. It requires uninterrupted access to markets, the free movement of customers, smooth supply of goods, transportation, parking facilities and the normal functioning of commercial activities.
He pointed out that during major festivals such as Diwali, Chhath and Bhai Dooj, lakhs of customers from across the country visit Delhi’s markets for festive shopping. This is one of the most important business periods of the year for traders. Any disruption in traffic, road congestion or restricted access to markets due to marches and rallies could directly affect shopkeepers, small businesses, employees, street vendors, transport operators and the livelihoods of millions of people.
Khandelwal Calls For Protest At Designated Sites On City Outskirts
Khandelwal said that CAIT respects the democratic right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. However, if the objective is to register democratic dissent, suitable venues on the outskirts of Delhi can be identified so that the capital’s major markets, commercial activities and normal public life are not adversely affected.
Rahul Gandhi Should Be Sensitive Towards Traders
He further said that Rahul Gandhi should demonstrate sensitivity towards the livelihoods of Delhi’s traders and their festive business rather than turning their genuine concerns into a subject of political rhetoric. Appealing to rally participants to shop in local markets as a solution to the disruption is, in itself, a mockery of Delhi’s trading community. Delhi’s traders do not run their businesses on anyone’s charity or benevolence; they earn their livelihoods through hard work, enterprise and the trust of their customers.
He said that Delhi’s traders need customers, not political crowds; smoothly functioning markets, not political speeches; and preventive measures to protect their businesses, not assurances of compensation after losses have occurred.
Politics has its own place, but the livelihoods of traders and the convenience of ordinary citizens must remain paramount.
