Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of forcibly closing Connaught Place shops
The Leader of the Opposition alleged the BJP is causing losses to traders during the INDIA bloc rally.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of forcibly shutting down shops in Delhi's Connaught Place. According to reports from Telangana Today, The Indian Express and Deccan Herald, Gandhi made the allegation in a video message posted on X while travelling to a protest at Ramlila Maidan.
Gandhi stated that the INDIA bloc had previously appealed to rally participants to shop locally to support traders during the festive season. He claimed that upon arriving at Connaught Place, he found that the BJP had forcibly closed all the shops, causing losses to the traders.
The protest at Ramlila Maidan was organised by the INDIA bloc to demonstrate against alleged electoral irregularities and to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had written a fourth letter to Gandhi regarding the potential impact of the rally on the trading community. CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said that around 2.5 lakh of the approximately three lakh shops within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan were expected to remain closed due to widespread panic and uncertainty.
The CTI warned that the rally could disrupt the movement of goods and transportation across a 10-kilometre radius, affecting markets in Central and Old Delhi during the pre-Diwali shopping season.