BJP's jibe comes ahead of Congress' "mega rally" at Ramlila Maidan, which the opposition plans to use to intensify its campaign against alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Monday posted a striking message amid the political sparring ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally in Delhi. It declared on its official X account, “Sorry to break it to you, all anti-Indian forces, BUT Modi kahi nahi jayega (Modi won't go anywhere)”.The post aimed to take a swipe at the opposition amid a row over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remark, "Modi ka baap bhi jayega."Meanwhile, pressure on the Congress to postpone its rally to after Diwali has been growing as traders have raised concerns that closures will disrupt businesses.
BJP's jibe comes ahead of Congress' "mega rally" at Ramlila Maidan, which the opposition plans to use to intensify its campaign against alleged irregularities in the SIR of electoral rolls and demand the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Delhi traders demand postponement of INDIA bloc rally
The rally has also triggered protests from Delhi's traders, who fear that security arrangements, road closures and traffic diversions could disrupt business during the crucial festive season. Traders demonstrated at Kashmere Gate on Monday, urging the Congress to reschedule the event and allow markets to operate without disruption.During the protest, traders raised the slogan, "20,000 vaipariyo ki ik hi pukar, Diwali ke baad kijiye rally ka vichar (20,000 traders have one appeal: hold the rally after Diwali)".
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) chairman, Brijesh Goyal, said the traders would write to leaders of all parties in the INDIA bloc, besides Congress president Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asking them to defer the rally."We will write to leaders of all the parties in the INDIA bloc, urging them to hear our sentiments and postpone the rally," Goyal said.He expressed concern over the Congress's claim that around 10 lakh people could attend the rally, arguing that the gathering could severely affect wholesale markets around Ramlila Maidan."Business will be heavily impacted because, as reports suggest, 10 lakh people might gather at Ramlila Maidan, whereas its actual capacity is around 50,000," Goyal said.He cited a gathering at Jantar Mantar on October 10, claiming that the presence of around 2,000 to 4,000 people had led to metro station closures, barricading and restrictions. More than 20 major markets were forced to shut down, he alleged.According to Goyal, a rally of the anticipated scale could affect more than 20 wholesale hubs within a 5-km radius of Ramlila Maidan.
These include Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Khari Baoli, Naya Bazar, Chawri Bazar, Daryaganj and Kashmere Gate.He said road closures could prevent three to four lakh buyers from outside Delhi, who visit the capital daily, from reaching the markets. Local customers could also stay away because of traffic restrictions.
Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, responded to the traders' concerns in a post on X on Monday, saying the protests would "stop in 30 seconds" if they asked Modi to sack chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the "vote chori" issue.
Paramjeet Singh Pamma, president of the Sadar Bazar Bari Market Trade Association, also appealed to the Congress leadership to postpone the rally. He said the festive season was crucial for traders to recover their business across the year.Pamma warned that restrictions around major wholesale markets, including Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Fatehpuri and Azad Market, could cause losses worth crores of rupees, as traders and buyers from Delhi and other states flock to these areas during the festive season.The traders have urged the Congress to hold the rally after Diwali to avoid disrupting business during one of the busiest periods of the year.