Delhi Police Approves INDIA Bloc’s Ramlila Maidan Rally, Denies Permission for March from Connaught Place

INDIA Bloc Gets Police Clearance for Ramlila Maidan Rally, March from Connaught Place Not Approved

The Delhi Police on Saturday confirmed that permission had been granted for the INDIA bloc’s proposed ‘Chalo Dilli’ rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. However, the police clarified that no approval had been issued for the planned march from the Connaught Place-Minto Road junction to the rally venue.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had announced the proposed march during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram on Friday. He said participants would assemble at the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction at noon before proceeding towards Ramlila Maidan and urged people to join the programme.

Police officials said neither the New Delhi district police nor the Central district police had received any formal request or information about the proposed march.

“No permission has been sought and neither the New Delhi district police nor the Central district police have been informed about the march,” officials said.

The officers did not clarify whether opposition leaders or other participants would be stopped if they attempted to proceed towards Ramlila Maidan without approval.

The INDIA bloc is organising the rally to demand the withdrawal of the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Traders’ body asks INDIA bloc to postpone rally
Meanwhile, the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has appealed to INDIA bloc leaders to postpone the November 1 rally, citing concerns over potential business losses during the festive shopping season.

In a letter sent on Saturday, the traders’ organisation said the event could disrupt commercial activity during the peak period of Diwali and Dhanteras.

The CTI, which represents traders and entrepreneurs in Delhi, wrote to several opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav and Uddhav Thackeray. It requested that the rally be rescheduled for after the festival season, preferably beyond November 10-11.

Rahul Gandhi urges people to attend Ramlila Maidan rally
Despite the uncertainty surrounding permission for the march, Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that the rally at Ramlila Maidan would take place as planned. He invited people from political parties, civil society groups, social organisations, journalists and other sections of society to participate.

“All the opposition, everybody who wants to come: political, non-political, social, service people, civil society people, journalists. Both the programs are about the demolition of Indian democracy by Narendra Modi, by Amit Shah, by Gyanesh Kumar and his crew in the Election Commission,” Gandhi said at a press briefing.

He also accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of attempting to prevent people from reaching the national capital for the rally.

Gandhi alleged that people travelling from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana and Punjab were being stopped from entering Delhi.

“The Home Minister is trying his best to stop people from coming into Delhi, trying to ensure that our party members, common people who want to come from UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, are being stopped. And they’re trying their best…” he said.