NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday expressed solidarity with Delhi traders, alleging that the government had disrupted business by shutting metro services, sealing roads and locking down the capital. Linking the restrictions to his allegations of “vote chori”, Rahul demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom he referred to as “Accused No. 4”.“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.”This comes after traders had earlier urged the LoP and congress party to stop their protests citing business losses as they’re forced to shutdown their businesses amid protests. Recently, the Chamber of Trade and Industry on Saturday urged Rahul to postpone the INDIA bloc’s upcoming rally on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan, saying the demonstration could disrupt business worth Rs 10,000 crore during the peak Diwali shopping season.“This year, Dhanteras falls on Friday, November 6, Diwali on November 8 and Bhai Dooj on November 10. People begin shopping for Dhanteras and Diwali a week in advance. In Delhi alone, Dhanteras-related business across sectors such as gold and silver, utensils, electronics, textiles, dry fruits, sweets, automobiles, vehicles, property and gift items amounts to approximately Rs 25,000 crore. This trade is the backbone of Delhi’s economy,” the letter reads.
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The traders’ body said markets typically witness a surge in activity about a week before festivals, raising concerns over the timing of the rally. Goyal added that traders in Delhi had already incurred losses of around Rs 3,000 crore in October due to rallies, marches and road closures in Connaught Place, India Gate and central Delhi.