Rahul Gandhi posted a terse note on X yesterday, telling every Delhi trader that the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan could be halted in 30 seconds if Prime Minister Narendra Modi sacked Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He added, "Tell Modi to remove accused no. 4, and the protests will stop in 30 seconds," calling the move a direct appeal to business owners.
The call arrived after the Chamber of Trade and Industry, led by Brijesh Goyal, petitioned Gandhi to postpone the rally until after the Diwali shopping peak. Goyal warned that the protest, set next to Old Delhi’s wholesale hubs, could disrupt roughly Rs 10,000 crore of trade during the week leading up to Dhanteras, Diwali and Bhai Dooj.
The opposition’s campaign has already seen concrete actions: on October 12, activists marched through barricaded arteries to file a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The next day, Gandhi hosted the INDIA bloc leaders for tea at his home, after which the alliance reaffirmed its intent to press for the resignation of the chief election commissioner.
Traders are not the only voices echoing the protest’s economic threat. Goyal’s letter highlighted that Delhi markets generate about Rs 25,000 crore in turnover around Dhanteras alone, a figure that underscores the stakes for the city’s merchants.
Meanwhile, the opposition bloc has pledged to continue its push for vote integrity, even as the protest’s timing remains fixed for November 1. The Delhi police have increased patrols around Ramlila Maidan, anticipating clashes between demonstrators and traders.
The next steps are clear: the protest will proceed on November 1, with the opposition seeking to force the resignation of the chief election commissioner, while business leaders brace for a potential Rs 10,000 crore hit to commercial activity.