Delhi traders claim Rs 10,000 crore Diwali loss as 2.5 lakh shops shut during INDIA bloc rally
Around 2.5 lakh shops across 20 to 25 major markets in Delhi remained closed on Sunday, according to traders' associations, which estimate collective business losses of Rs 10,000-11,000 crore as an INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan disrupted trade during the peak Diwali shopping season. The figures are estimates released by the associations and have not been independently verified.
Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) chairman Brijesh Goyal said nearly 80 per cent of the roughly three lakh shops in markets around the rally venue stayed shut, citing traffic restrictions, congestion and the expected arrival of large crowds. He said the data was collated in the evening from traders' groups associated with the Confederation of All India Traders.
"Due to the rally held at Ramlila Maidan today, about 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity were affected. These historic markets house approximately three lakh shops. Based on the data we received this evening from traders across different markets, about 80 per cent of these shops — roughly 2.5 lakh — remained closed today," Goyal said.
He added that the movement of goods was severely affected. According to the associations, three lakh to four lakh people who regularly travel to the capital for business did not arrive, and around 5,000 vehicles, including tempos and trucks, could not carry goods into markets in Old Delhi and Central Delhi. Loading and unloading operations were disrupted, hitting wholesale and retail businesses alike.
"During the peak Diwali season, these markets collectively generate business worth approximately Rs 10,000 to 12,000 crore. Even where shops remained open, sales were virtually non-existent; there were simply no customers," Goyal said, asking who would compensate traders for the disruption.
The timing has amplified the concern. Traders were preparing for the festive rush ahead of Dhanteras, which falls four days later, and businesses in these markets depend heavily on the movement of customers and goods during this period.
The rally was held by the opposition INDIA bloc against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the electoral process. Ramlila Maidan is a frequently used venue for large public meetings and protests and lies close to several of the city's oldest wholesale and retail markets, including Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Daryaganj, Mori Gate and Kashmere Gate.
Ahead of the gathering, several traders' bodies had opposed holding the event at the venue during the festive season, warning that congestion and restrictions could hurt wholesale markets and the livelihoods of thousands of daily-wage workers.
Vinay Narang, president of the Kashmere Gate-based Automotive Parts Merchant Association (APMA), said traders were not opposed to democratic protest but objected to the timing and the venue. "We are not aligned with any political party, nor are we against democratic protests. But the timing and the venue are completely wrong. Ramlila Maidan is located in the middle of Asia's largest commercial zone, with major markets within a three-kilometre radius," he said.
Amid the concerns raised by traders' associations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had issued a video appeal ahead of the rally, urging people travelling to Delhi to support local businesses by shopping from street vendors and small traders.
No independent assessment of the losses was immediately available, and the associations' estimates could not be corroborated. The demands for compensation have renewed a recurring debate in the capital over the use of central Delhi's protest venues during peak commercial periods, and the balance between the right to peaceful assembly and the economic interests of surrounding markets.
