Rahul Gandhi called on Modi to sack CEC Gyanesh Kumar, saying the removal would stop the traders’ protests that are set to erupt on November 1 at Ramlila Maidan.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) warned that the rally would cripple a Rs 25,000‑crore turnover during the peak Diwali shopping season, with Dhanteras on November 6 and Diwali on November 8.
Metro services have been shut and roads sealed across central Delhi, leaving merchants in Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar and Karol Bagh without access to customers for hours. A shop owner in Chandni Chowk told reporters, “We lose a chunk of our daily sales when the metro stops; the market stalls are empty.”
Gandhi’s X post echoed the traders’ plight, adding that “with a stolen vote nothing is safe – your shop, your savings, your children’s future.” He promised the protests would cease in 30 seconds if Kumar was removed.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party was reviewing the CTI’s appeal and would decide whether to postpone the rally until after Bhai Dooj on November 10.
The next decision will be announced by the party leadership in the coming days, as Delhi’s traders await a resolution that could restore normalcy to the capital’s trade corridors.