Rahul to traders: ‘We love you’, seeks CEC’s ouster

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday responded to concerns raised by Delhi traders over the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, saying the protests would stop within 30 seconds if Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, “To every trader in Delhi: We love you and hear you. The Govt shut the metro, sealed our roads and locked down our capital. With a stolen vote nothing is safe - your shop, your savings, your children’s future. Tell Modi to sack accused no. 4, Gyanesh Kumar and the protests will stop in 30 seconds.”

The remarks come amid concerns from Delhi’s business community over the INDIA bloc’s planned rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. Traders have urged the opposition alliance to postpone the event, citing the potential impact on business during the festive shopping season.

The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had written to Gandhi on October 24, requesting that the rally be deferred until after November 10, citing concerns over traffic restrictions, road diversions and reduced customer access to markets during the peak festive period.

According to the CTI, Dhanteras alone accounts for nearly Rs 25,000 crore in business in Delhi. The trade body also estimated that traffic diversions in central Delhi earlier in October had caused losses of around Rs 3,000 crore to retail and wholesale traders.

Earlier on Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the INDIA bloc would consider the traders’ request and seek a solution, while maintaining that the opposition’s campaign against alleged vote theft remained important.

“The rally is scheduled for November 1. We have received an appeal from the traders. We will think about it today or tomorrow and find a solution because what we are doing is also for the public and for them,” Kharge said.

Kharge also said the party would consider the traders’ concerns, stressing that the issue of alleged vote theft was serious.

The INDIA bloc’s proposed rally is part of its campaign against alleged irregularities in the electoral process. The opposition has been demanding action against Gyanesh Kumar, while the Election Commission has faced criticism from opposition parties over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.