Earlier this month, the Chamber of Trade and Industry mailed formal appeals to the INDIA bloc, seeking a date shift for the November 1 protest.
The CTI argues that the rally’s projected crowd of 10 lakh people and 15,000-20,000 vehicles could choke the city’s traffic at a time when Delhi’s 20 wholesale and retail hubs generate roughly ₹12 000 crore in daily trade.
With Dhanteras falling on November 6 and Diwali on the 8th, traders claim the 1st is the most critical stocking day, a fact that drags 5,000 trucks and 3,000 long‑haul vehicles into the city each day.
The venue’s parking space is insufficient for even 200 buses, and the surrounding arteries—Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, and the lanes around Chandni Chowk—would likely face a ‘lock‑down‑like’ gridlock, crippling markets such as Khari Baoli and Connaught Place.
A prior gathering at Jantar Mantar on October 10, with 5,000-7,000 attendees, already stalled traffic for eight hours, proving the city’s vulnerability.
Delhi Police, having granted conditional permission, limited vehicle parking to designated zones, but the traders’ petition remains pending before the Delhi High Court, set to decide on November 15.