Business · India Bureau
Delhi traders seek delay to INDIA bloc rally amid Diwali season concerns
Merchants in the national capital have appealed to opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to postpone a planned anti-SIR demonstration, citing potential business losses during the peak festive shopping period. The rally's location near major wholesale and retail markets has sparked concerns about disruption to economic activity.
LSN India ·
Delhi's trader community has urged the Congress leader and INDIA bloc coordinators to reschedule an upcoming rally against the Standardised Input Rate (SIR) policy, expressing concerns over significant commercial disruption during the Diwali season. According to traders' representations, the demonstration could result in losses estimated at ₹10,000 crore for the business community.
The proposed rally is scheduled for Ramlila Maidan, a location surrounded by a dense concentration of wholesale and retail markets within a 5-kilometre radius. Traders have highlighted that Diwali represents a critical sales period for the retail and wholesale sectors, with consumer spending reaching peak levels during this window.
Merchant associations emphasised that the rally's timing and venue would inevitably restrict market access and customer movement during one of the year's most profitable trading periods. They have appealed for the event to be rescheduled to a date after the festive season concludes, allowing normal business operations to proceed unimpeded.
The traders' petition represents growing concerns within Delhi's commercial establishments about the convergence of political mobilisation and peak business seasons. The INDIA bloc has not yet responded to requests for postponement of the anti-SIR demonstration.