Amid concerns of traders in central Delhi over the impact of the crowd expected at the INDIA bloc’s ‘Chalo Dilli’ rally on Sunday (November 1, 2026), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (October 31, 2026) urged people to do some festival season shopping after attending the rally.

In a video released late in the day, Mr. Gandhi appealed to people to shop for upcoming festivals like Deepavali, Chhath, and Bhai Dooj.

“The time of Diwali, Chhath, and Bhai Dooj has arrived. I want those lakhs of people coming to Delhi from outside to support the traders here,” Mr. Gandhi said.

“Protest, march, hold rallies, and along with that, do a little shopping too. It will benefit the traders,” he added.

Earlier, a traders body in central Delhi had urged the Congress leader to postpone the rally until Deepavali.