Rs 10,000 Crore Trade 'Risk', BJP’s Anti-Sikh Charge: Rahul Gandhi’s Next Move Under Watch

Rahul Gandhi Nov 1 Rally: Rahul Gandhi’s planned November 1 rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan has drawn objections from traders and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) warning of potential business losses worth Rs 10,000 crore during the festive shopping season and the BJP accusing the Congress leader of hurting Sikh sentiments by holding the event on a sensitive date. While Gandhi's next move is under watch, it is worth noting that the Congress or the INDIA bloc did not choose the day, but it was appointed by the Delhi Police to carry out "Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao" against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

With the demonstration at Ramlila Maidan, the Congress-led INDIA bloc is planning to intensify its campaign against “vote chori” - a term coined by Gandhi to describe alleged electoral irregularities by the CEC. Their demands is the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

However, the choice of venue and date comes amid scheduling constraints faced by the Congress. Jantar Mantar, which has hosted earlier opposition protests, was no longer available following its denotification, while dates at Ramlila Maidan had already been reserved for festive events. These constraints complicated the process of securing a venue for the rally, making the November 1 slot significant for the opposition’s mobilisation plans.

Loss of Trade Argument

The CTI, meanwhile, has urged Gandhi to postpone the event until after November 10, warning that it could disrupt business in wholesale and retail markets around Ramlila Maidan during one of the busiest periods of the year.

In a letter, shared by news agency PTI, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal told Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, that Delhi was expected to record business worth around Rs 25,000 crore across sectors such as gold and silver, electronics, clothing, utensils, sweets, automobiles and gift items around Dhanteras, which falls on November 6. Diwali will be celebrated on November 8, followed by Bhai Dooj on November 10.

The traders’ body estimated that rallies, marches and road closures in October had already caused losses of around Rs 3,000 crore in Delhi. It said traffic diversions, barricading and possible public transport restrictions during the November 1 rally could further affect customer footfall and the movement of goods.

BJP Says Sikh Sentiments Will Hurt 

Separately, the BJP has objected to the rally’s timing, linking November 1 to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31 that year.

Addressing a press conference, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Rahul Gandhi of being “adamant” about holding the rally on the date, alleging that the decision would hurt Sikh sentiments. He also claimed that several INDIA bloc constituents wanted the programme rescheduled.

The Congress has maintained that the rally will be a major show of opposition unity, claiming that at least 10 lakh people are expected to participate in the protest against alleged electoral malpractice.

The competing concerns place the rally at the intersection of political mobilisation, festive-season commerce and the sensitivities surrounding the 1984 violence. Whether the Congress reconsiders the date or proceeds as planned remains central to the growing controversy.