Delhi market closures have been announced across several major commercial districts on October 10 ahead of a protest at Jantar Mantar, with trader bodies citing police advisories, possible property damage and safety concerns. Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Sadar Bazar and parts of Old Delhi are expected to see shutdowns or restricted operations, raising concerns about customer access and festive-season business.
The New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) has advised shops, offices, restaurants and other establishments in Connaught Place to remain vigilant and close as a precautionary measure. In its advisory, the association said the decision followed advice from authorities and the “critical situation” expected around Connaught Place. It urged owners and occupiers to cooperate to prevent property loss and injuries during the protest.
NDTA president Atul Bhargava said the association would approach the authorities seeking the relocation of the protest from Jantar Mantar because of its effect on businesses in the surrounding area. The advisory does not establish a city-wide closure order from Delhi Police, and traders in some markets said they had received different forms of guidance.
In Karol Bagh, members of the Ajmal Khan Road Vyapar Mandal advised traders to keep shops closed until 2 pm. A representative said the situation would be reviewed before a further decision was taken. Devraj Baweja of the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh said a shutdown had been announced for Sadar Bazar on Saturday.
Traders in Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk and other Old Delhi markets have raised concerns about losses during the peak sales period before Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali. Sanjay Bhargava of Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal said traders had not received a formal circular from Delhi Police asking them to shut their markets. He said many businesses had procured festive stock on credit or through bank loans, making delays in sales financially significant.
The closure calls come amid wider concerns among traders about the effect of protests, metro station closures and movement restrictions on commercial activity in central Delhi. The Chamber of Trade and Industry has called for restrictions on large-scale protests in key commercial areas, including Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg and Lutyens’ Delhi, until Diwali. CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said traders respected the right to peaceful protest but were concerned about the economic effect of large gatherings near business districts.
Goyal claimed that Delhi’s overall business had fallen to around 30% of normal levels over the preceding three days. He also said the number of shoppers arriving from outside Delhi had declined from an estimated 2-3 lakh a day to 40,000-50,000, while local footfall had fallen by more than half because of metro station closures and other disruptions. These figures were presented by trader representatives and were not independently verified in the supplied report.
Hemant Gupta of the Bhartiya Udyog Vyapaar Mandal said Delhi had more than a million business establishments employing over 10 million people directly, and appealed to political parties not to disrupt the festive business season. The immediate operating position for each market remains dependent on local trader decisions, police arrangements and conditions around the October 10 protest.
