Overview
- The Confederation of All India Traders wrote to Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Monday asking the administration to identify and notify official protest sites on the city's outskirts to keep markets accessible.
- The Chamber of Trade & Industry separately asked Delhi Police for a temporary ban on rallies, sit-ins and marches until November 11, saying demonstrations over the past month disrupted business during the Diwali period.
- Trade bodies have produced large loss estimates for the Diwali season, with CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal saying the INDIA bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan caused roughly ₹10,000–11,000 crore in disruption and about 2.5 lakh shops to close, figures that have not been independently verified.
- Political leaders have publicly disputed the traders' numbers and blamed opponents for the impact, and some opposition figures have accused authorities or others of forcing closures in locations such as Connaught Place.
- Traders and associations warn that recurring demonstrations have blocked goods movement and cut customer footfall, and they want coordinated action by Delhi Police, traffic authorities and the MCD to prevent further trade losses while preserving the right to peaceful assembly.