The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Tuesday, 27 October 2026, wrote a fresh letter to Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, urging that the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Delhi' mega-rally, scheduled for 1 November at Ramlila Maidan, be postponed until after the Diwali festive season. The appeal comes a day after Gandhi publicly reaffirmed his commitment to proceeding with the rally.

Gandhi's Stance and His Message to Traders

On Monday, Gandhi took to X to directly address Delhi's trading community, making clear the rally would go ahead as planned. In his post, 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 post was seen as an attempt to reassure traders while holding firm on the rally's schedule.

Why Traders Are Alarmed

According to CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal, 1 November falls squarely in the peak Diwali shopping window — one of the most commercially critical periods for Delhi's wholesale and retail sector. Goyal said traders across the 20 major markets surrounding Ramlila Maidan have expressed 'deep concern and disappointment,' creating what the body described as 'an atmosphere of panic.'

The CTI raised pointed logistical questions: whether barricades would go up as early as 31 October, whether arterial routes across the National Capital would be sealed, and whether customers would even be able to reach shops. Citing Congress leaders' own estimate of 10 lakh attendees arriving in 15,000–20,000 vehicles, the CTI noted there is 'no authorised parking for even 200 vehicles' in the Ramlila Maidan vicinity.

The Projected Economic Toll

The traders' body drew a sharp comparison with a recent precedent: the 10 October Jantar Mantar protest, which involved only 3,000–4,000 people yet allegedly led to the 'sealing off of all of Central Delhi,' causing a trader loss of ₹3,000 crore. A rally of 10 lakh people on 1 November, the CTI warned, 'would bring all business activity in Old Delhi to a complete standstill, resulting in a loss of ₹10,000 crore.' The CTI listed 21 major wholesale and retail markets it said would be directly affected.

What CTI Has Proposed

The traders' body offered two alternatives: either reschedule the rally to after 10 November — following the festival of Bhaiya Dooj — or, if 1 November is non-negotiable, relocate the venue from Ramlila Maidan to a less commercially sensitive open space such as Burari Grounds or Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

BJP Weighs In

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal also pushed back against Gandhi's X post. Khandelwal said Gandhi's social media response fell well short of what traders need, arguing: 'Rahul Gandhi tweeted yesterday about Delhi's traders, apparently believing that his tweet-based politics would satisfy them. The question is, when he said in his tweet that the metro was shut down and roads were blocked, why was the administration compelled to take these steps in the first place?'

With Diwali approaching and both sides entrenched, the coming days will test whether the INDIA bloc adjusts its plans or proceeds — and who bears the political cost among Delhi's influential trading community.