Traders’ body holds Rahul accountable for poor business

New Delhi: The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has written to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, expressing strong resentment over the repeated disruption of business in Delhi due to political rallies, protests and demonstrations over the past month.

In the letter, CAIT questioned the Congress rally held on November 1, 2026, as well as the support extended by the Congress and other political parties to demonstrations organised by various groups during this period.

The traders’ body said it would wait for Rahul Gandhi’s response before deciding on its next move. However, it plans to convene a crucial national-level meeting of Delhi’s traders and prominent trade leaders from across the country soon after Diwali to discuss the way forward.

CAIT said the issue was no longer confined to Delhi’s trading community. If commercial activities could be disrupted in the national capital, the same could happen in any other city, making it a matter of national concern.

“The trading community of India is not so weak that it will continue to tolerate such circumstances indefinitely. The time has come to send a strong message and hold those responsible accountable,” the letter said.

CAIT has also announced plans to observe a nationwide “Dhikkar Diwas” (Day of Condemnation) to protest against the disruptions. The date will be decided at the upcoming national meeting in New Delhi.

In the letter, CAIT national president B C Bhartia questioned the political and moral responsibility of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress for backing demonstrations that, he said, had severely

affected business in the national capital. The disruptions have come at a particularly difficult time for traders, coinciding with the festive season and the peak period for wedding shopping.