Rahul Gandhi has blamed the central government for Delhi's lockdown, urging traders to support his protest against the Election Commission. He insists that sacking Gyanesh Kumar will end the disruptions impacting festive season trade.

Rahul Gandhi Addresses Delhi Traders Over Lockdown Concerns

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Monday issued a direct appeal to the business community of the national capital, blaming the central government for administrative lockdowns and traffic disruptions across Delhi while reiterating the opposition's demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In a post on X, while sharing a poster calling for a protest at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, Rahul Gandhi responded to growing concerns raised by commercial bodies regarding security barricading and public transit restrictions affecting local markets during ongoing political demonstrations.

Addressing Delhi's retail and wholesale merchants, Gandhi asserted that the restrictions imposed in the capital were a direct result of government actions rather than opposition marches. “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,” he wrote.

Impact on Delhi's Festive Trade

Rahul Gandhi’s statement comes in the wake of representations sent by the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) to top opposition leaders requesting a deferral of the INDIA alliance’s planned mega rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. Trade bodies highlighted that road diversions, barricading, and metro station closures in central Delhi during the peak festive shopping season—ahead of Dhanteras, Diwali, and Bhai Dooj—threaten thousands of crores in commercial turnover for major trading hubs such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, and Karol Bagh.

While Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge previously indicated that party leadership is deliberating on the traders' appeal to find an amenable solution, Gandhi’s message frames the ongoing agitation against alleged election irregularities and the Election Commission as an essential constitutional fight necessary to safeguard long-term economic stability. (ANI)

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