A war of words between India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over financial losses suffered by Delhi’s traders is escalating. Amid accusations from both sides, Gandhi has attacked the BJP again, accusing it of hurting traders’ financial interests.
On Sunday (November 1), while leading a large INDIA bloc rally and march against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Gandhi released a short video.
In it, he alleged that the BJP had forced all the shops to close, so people who came to join the protest could not shop.
“We had asked everyone to do some shopping and buy a few things when they came to the march and the big rally,” Gandhi said in the video. “But on our way here to Connaught Place we learned that the BJP has forcibly shut every shop. So you should know who is hurting the traders, and how.”
BJP leaders had earlier blamed Gandhi and the Congress for hurting traders during the festive season.
Referring to Dhanteras, Diwali and Chhath Puja, BJP leader J.P. Nadda said small traders, street vendors and shopkeepers earn a large share of their annual income during the festive period. He accused Gandhi of being indifferent to the financial troubles of small traders.
Nadda said the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) had written to Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.
The letter asked them not to hold large political rallies in Delhi during the festive season.
Nadda claimed that earlier protests had cost Delhi’s traders about 3,000 crore rupees, and that losses from the latest rally could exceed 10,000 crore rupees.
Source: India Today
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