Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of “forcibly closing shops” in Delhi’s Connaught Place area, a day after he appealed to those participating in the INDIA bloc’s ‘Dilli Chalo’ rally to do shopping from local traders.

Gandhi made the allegation in a video message posted on his official X account as he took part in the rally against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral irregularities.

“We told everyone that when you come here for the march and the mega rally, make purchases and shop locally. However, when we arrived here at Connaught Place, we found out that the BJP had forcibly got all the shops shut down,” he said.

“So, you can see who is causing losses to the traders and how those losses are being caused,” he added.

This comes after the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) on Sunday wrote a fourth letter to Gandhi over the potential impact of the rally on the national capital’s trading community.

The CTI warned of an unprecedented crisis for Delhi’s business community due to the INDIA bloc’s mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, claiming that around 2.5 lakh shops within a five-kilometre radius of the venue are likely to remain closed, while nearly 80 per cent of business activity could come to a standstill.

The traders’ body said the rally could also disrupt transportation and movement of goods across a 10-kilometre radius, affecting markets in Central Delhi and Old Delhi during the crucial pre-Diwali shopping season.

Welcoming Gandhi’s video appeal asking people attending the rally to visit Delhi’s markets and shop to support traders, the CTI said the ground situation was entirely different, with widespread panic and uncertainty among shopkeepers and customers.

CTI Chairman Brijesh Goyal said that although Gandhi had urged rally participants to support local businesses, the prevailing situation had created such panic that around 2.5 lakh of the approximately three lakh shops in markets within a five-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan were expected to remain closed.

Earlier on Sunday, the LoP urged people to join the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ march in the national capital, calling for public participation in the protest against alleged electoral irregularities and demanding the resignation of the CEC.

NDA leaders on Sunday hit out at Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan over his remarks about being “targeted” because of his religion and said that if the Enforcement Directorate found evidence, his arrest would be valid.

They added that even though he was bailed in a different matter, the authorities might have found evidence proving his guilt in other cases.

On October 31, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a money laundering case in connection with the provisional attachment of land and buildings belonging to Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur district, valued at Rs 426.46 crore.

Speaking to the reporters before being taken away by the ED, Khan said, “Is this the punishment for being a Muslim?”

The fresh trouble for Azam Khan came against the backdrop of a short-lived relief offered to him and his son Abdullah Khan by the Allahabad High Court by suspending their sentence in the dual PAN card case, granting them bail on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters, Uttar Pradesh Minister of State Narendra Kashyap said, “The law, Parliament and the Constitution do not judge a person based on religion. The law judges a person based on their crimes.”

“If Azam Khan committed a crime, and evidence was found that he has more property than his income, or that he committed forgery, physical violence, or theft, then the investigation is valid,” he added.

Speaking to MEDIA, Bihar BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi firmly said the law is equal for all. “Claiming that you are being attacked and oppressed because of your religion is not going to exempt you from the crimes you have committed,” he said.

“A person who built an empire of Rs. 1170 crores by oppressing the poor, orphans, and weak farmers is playing the victim today,” Saraogi said.

“There is no religion in money laundering and corruption. No matter if someone thinks of themselves as the biggest of strongmen, one who loots public money has a place only inside a prison,” he added.

JD(U) National General Secretary Shyam Rajak said that, “On the one hand, the judiciary decided to bail him; on the other hand, there might be more cases in which he was accused by the ED. It doesn’t mean that if he is bailed in one crime, the other ones will be dissolved too”

JD(U) National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said that Azam Khan had a strong influence when the Samajwadi Party ruled the state. “He committed many financial crimes then,” Ranjan said, adding, “It is a good opportunity for Azam Khan to prove his innocence to the financial institutions of the state.”

Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde said, “The ED will question him in multiple matters. Azam Khan has already spent time in jail; his son has been released, but he will have to face the ED.”

A police officer and a driver were killed after a speeding container truck carrying iron rods rammed into a vehicle belonging to the Hathkhamba Highway Traffic Police Unit in Maharashtra Ratnagiri district, officials said on Sunday.

The incident took place near the Anjanari Bridge on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway in Ratnagiri district at around 11 p.m. on Saturday and claimed the lives of a police officer and a driver, while two other police personnel suffered injuries.

According to information received, the official vehicle of the Hathkhamba Traffic Police Unit was on its way to the site after receiving information about a vehicle having fallen into the river beneath the Anjanari Bridge.

While it was on its way, a container truck carrying iron rods struck the police vehicle from behind.

The impact was so severe that the police vehicle fell approximately 80 to 100 feet down a steep embankment towards the river. The container truck also veered off the road and overturned into a gorge, officials said.

Assistant Police Sub-Inspector (ASI) Santosh Appasaheb Gaikwad (51) and the container truck driver lost their lives in the accident, while two police personnel sustained serious injuries.

Following the accident, Lanja Sub-Divisional Police Officer Kadam, Police Inspector Dipali Jadhav, Assistant Police Inspector Satyaraj Ghule, Sub-Inspector Balwant Patil and other police personnel rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the hospital.

The victims were initially given primary treatment at Pali Rural Hospital and were later transferred to Ratnagiri District Government Hospital. However, ASI Santosh Gaikwad succumbed to his injuries during treatment, officials said.

The container truck driver also died while undergoing treatment, they added.

Constable Anil Ashok Shingade, who was critically injured, is being shifted to Sangli for advanced medical care, officials said.

The tragic incident has once again raised serious concerns about road safety on the stretch near Anjanari Bridge, known for its sharp bends and steep slopes.

The accident-prone section of the Mumbai-Goa National Highway has renewed calls for stricter speed-control measures and enhanced safety arrangements.