Show Solidarity’: BJP MP Asks Party Workers to Buy From Traders Who May Suffer Business Hit Due to Congress Protests
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal has urged Bharatiya Janata Party cadres across the capital to shop exclusively at local markets to compensate shopkeepers for an estimated ₹4,000 crore business hit caused by continuous political demonstrations.
The call from Khandelwal, who also serves as Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), comes as commercial bodies raise alarms over a massive Congress rally scheduled for 1 November at Ramlila Maidan. Traders fear the opposition event, led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, will cause severe gridlock and paralyze central wholesale hubs during the peak Diwali shopping window.
Shopping Cadres Enlisted to Offset Political Gridlock
Framing customer footfalls as an economic rescue mission, Khandelwal appealed to BJP lawmakers, municipal councillors, state office-bearers, and Mandal workers to direct all festive purchases—including apparel, sweets, gifts, and household items—toward brick-and-mortar stores and roadside vendors.
• Direct Economic Patronage: Party workers have been instructed to bypass e-commerce portals and buy goods straight from local shopkeepers, hawkers, and artisans to keep cash flowing through traditional trade networks.
• Cascading Financial Strain: Business disruptions extend far beyond shop owners, impacting porters, transport operators, daily-wage laborers, and logistics staff whose livelihood relies entirely on peak October–November sales volume.
High Stakes at Ramlila Maidan Ahead of Peak Diwali Shopping
Estimates compiled by CAIT indicate that persistent road blockades, safety barricading, and traffic diversions over the past month have already cost Delhi’s trading sector over ₹4,000 crore. Key commercial belts across Old and Central Delhi—such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, and Khari Baoli—report dropping footfalls due to vehicular restrictions.
Khandelwal stated that while the constitutional right to peaceful assembly remains an important democratic principle, political organisations must balance protests against public mobility and commercial livelihoods. He called on opposition leaders to relocate or reschedule political programmes to outer regions so central markets can operate freely during the crucial festive shopping period.
