The Chamber of Trade and Industry has urged the Centre to restrict large protests in central Delhi from 11 October until Diwali, saying repeated demonstrations and related security measures are disrupting metro services, road movement and trade during the capital’s busiest commercial period.
CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking controls on large demonstrations in key areas including Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street and Lutyens’ Delhi. The organisation has also proposed a cap of 1,000 participants for protests at Jantar Mantar and in major government and commercial districts.
The traders’ body has asked that large demonstrations be prohibited in these central areas from the beginning of Sharadiya Navratri until Diwali. According to CTI, Navratri and Ramleela events begin on 11 October, followed by a sequence of festivals and the peak shopping and wedding season. The organisation said the period is critical for Delhi’s estimated 15 lakh traders.
CTI has additionally proposed creating a permanent protest zone in outer Delhi, suggesting locations such as Burari or Ramlila Maidan. The proposal is intended to shift large gatherings away from the central commercial and administrative districts while retaining a designated location for public demonstrations.
The organisation said Delhi’s overall business activity had fallen to about 30% of normal levels over the previous three days. It attributed the reported decline to lower customer footfall, traffic congestion and repeated restrictions around metro stations. These figures are CTI’s assessment and were not independently verified in the report.
CTI general secretary Gurmeet Arora and office-bearer Ramesh Ahuja said the number of visitors arriving from outside Delhi for shopping had declined from an estimated 2 lakh to 3 lakh a day to around 40,000 to 50,000. They also claimed that local customer footfall in markets had fallen by more than 50%.
The traders’ body said repeated closures of metro stations and congestion around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Connaught Place and adjoining areas were discouraging customers from visiting markets. The account links the reported commercial impact to interruptions in public transport and road access, although the report does not identify specific station closures, protest orders or traffic advisories.
Goyal said CTI respected the constitutional right to peaceful protest but argued that demonstrations involving thousands of people in central Delhi immediately before the festivals had a direct effect on traders. He said continued protests during the period could affect festival and wedding-season business, and reiterated the demand for restrictions between Navratri and Diwali.
The proposal places the administration before a practical balancing question: how to protect access to central commercial districts during a high-demand season while preserving space for lawful public assembly. The report does not state whether the Prime Minister’s Office, Delhi Police, the Delhi government or the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has responded to CTI’s demands. No decision on the proposed restrictions, participant cap or permanent protest zone was reported.
