New Delhi [India], October 16 : New Delhi Traders Association President Atul Bhargav on Friday urged political parties and protesters to hold demonstrations at designated sites instead of Connaught Place, saying repeated protests and traffic restrictions have severely affected businesses in the commercial hub ahead of the festive season.
Speaking to ANI about the proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Central Park in Connaught Place, Bhargav said traders were already struggling with losses caused by earlier demonstrations and were finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their businesses.
“During the CJP protest, our business came down to 10 per cent, and we were trying to recover from that when this protest started by the INDIA bloc, followed by CJP, which is coming today for ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’. What has really happened today is that we have reached a crescendo; we have reached our limit, because of the amount of losses which we have taken for the last two months,” Bhargav said.
He said traders in CP operate branded stores and incur substantial expenses, including rentals, staff salaries and property taxes. He added that October, November, December and January are crucial months for business, as traders stock up in anticipation of increased festive-season sales.
“This is the seasonal time. We have made purchases keeping in mind that the season is here. The effective season is basically October, November, December and maybe January. We are fully prepared, but with these things happening, we are incurring heavy losses,” he said.
Bhargav said customers tend to avoid Connaught Place when protests are announced, particularly because previous demonstrations have sometimes turned violent and disrupted access to the market.
“When they announce these kinds of protests, which are unscheduled or even scheduled and permissions are not given to them, they still land up because of the past track record which we have seen. The way these protests were happening, it turned out to be a very violent situation. So any good customer, any person would avoid coming to CP,” he said.
Emphasising the commercial importance of CP, Bhargav questioned the decision to hold demonstrations in the area and urged protesters to use designated venues.
“Connaught Place is a commercial centre. It is not a protest site. Why are you protesting over here? Go and protest at the place where it is designated as such. Central Park is a commercial place; it is not a protest place at all,” he said.
He added that traffic restrictions and barricading in the area affect not only Connaught Place but also neighbouring commercial centres, including Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Mohan Singh Place and Khan Market.
“Then all the roads get blocked. People cannot come in, and it has a cascading effect. The cascading effect is to the extent of Connaught Place, Janpath traders, Palika Bazaar, Mohan Singh Place and even up to Khan Market, where we have seen barricades being put up and people suffering a lot. It is inconvenient,” Bhargav said.
He also highlighted Connaught Place's importance as a major traffic hub connecting north and south Delhi, pointing out that hospitals and railway stations in the vicinity could require emergency access.
“There are emergencies which can happen over here. There can be a fire over here, and you need emergency services. In that situation, when the crowd is so high, it becomes very difficult for the police to control everything. The police are trying their level best, but sometimes the mob turns out to be higher than what they can really manage,” he said.
Bhargav said the association had submitted a representation signed by traders to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, the Police Commissioner, the Lieutenant Governor and other authorities, requesting that protests not be allowed in Connaught Place.
“Our request, we have sent a request duly signed by all the traders in our area to the Prime Minister, to the Home Minister, to the Commissioner of Police, to the LG, to everybody, because there was a limit till which we could have taken it. The day before yesterday, when all these market representatives met, we decided to make a representation asking them not to allow any protests over here,” he said.
On the potential impact of continued demonstrations, Bhargav said Connaught Place has around 3,000 establishments, while nearby commercial areas, including Janpath, Palika Bazaar, Municipal Market, Shankar Market and Mohan Singh Place, collectively account for thousands of additional shops.
“If you put all these shops together, they will range anywhere between 7,000 and 8,000. Mind you, there are people dependent on them. For every two people in Connaught Place, there are 15 people dependent on them,” he said.
He stressed that businesses have obligations towards their employees and suppliers, regardless of their size, and warned that prolonged disruptions could affect thousands of livelihoods.
“Whether it is a big businessperson or a small person, everybody is being affected because their expenses or income are affected accordingly. If this continues, traders are very, very agitated at this time, and we hope that better sense prevails on everybody,” he said.
Acknowledging the right to protest, Bhargav said traders were equally concerned about protecting their livelihoods and appealed to political parties and authorities to prevent disruptions during the festive period.
“They have a right to protest. They are looking for something by protesting today. We are looking at a livelihood for today,” he said.
He also cautioned that continued disruptions could affect the public image of political parties, noting that many traders support different political parties.
“If these people continue doing it this way, naturally their image will also get tarnished somewhere or the other. That feeling of being helpful to them will also go away,” he said.
“I would only suggest that let CP be alone. This is a commercial place. This is not a protest site. Protest sites have been declared by the authorities, and they should go there,” Bhargav added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard a writ petition filed on behalf of the Kirana Committee of New Delhi and the Iron Traders Association against proposed protests by the CJP and the Congress party at Connaught Place.
Supreme Court advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai told ANI the court had accepted the plea for urgent hearing and listed the matter for October 26, when it reopens after the Dussehra break.
Dehadrai said the Chief Justice of India had remarked that “better sense should prevail on all parties”, given the potential losses to traders and people dependent on commercial activities. The Supreme Court declined to issue urgent directions against the proposed protest.
He said the traders' associations were suffering due to disruptions to business, particularly as the festive season approaches.
“The court has accepted our plea for urgency and has listed the matter for the 26th, when the court reopens after the short break now for Dussehra. The CJI has also remarked that better sense should prevail on all parties because such protests have the ability to cause massive losses to traders and all of the individuals, poor people who are connected with these traders and trading activities. So, we are grateful to the court,” he said.
Separately, a street vendor who has been selling garments at Palika Bazaar for nearly three decades had approached the Delhi High Court seeking urgent intervention against the proposed CJP protest, arguing that demonstrations and traffic restrictions threaten the livelihoods of small traders and daily-wage earners.
The plea was mentioned before the High Court on Thursday. Senior Advocate Sacchin Puri told the court, “This protest has to be stopped.” Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre asked the counsel to return at 2.30 pm, after the Supreme Court hears related matters, and said the High Court would consider the plea thereafter.
Earlier, trade bodies from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Keralam had submitted representations dated October 12 and 13, expressing concern that protests, road blockades and restrictions on market access could affect business during Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath Puja.
Several associations have appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the timing and manner of the protests, while others have sought intervention from the Centre and the judiciary to ensure that the right to protest does not disrupt lawful commercial activities or jeopardise the livelihoods of traders and workers.