Coming out in support of the strike by traders on Tuesday, the Delhi Congress blamed the fight between the BJP in the Centre and municipal corporations and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the State for hurting traders.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said that the Delhi Traders’ Congress supported the bandh called to protest against the sealing drive. He said both, the BJP and the AAP, had not taken any steps to stop the sealing and provide relief to traders.
‘Verge of poverty’
He said the Centre first carried out demonetisation, then rolled out Goods and Services Tax and now the municipal corporations are carrying out sealing. Theses steps, he said, had brought traders to the “verge of poverty”.
In addition to the loss of revenue, Mr. Maken said the bandh had hit the daily wage labourers the worst.
The Delhi BJP, however, demanded that the AAP government notify 351 roads for commercial use and accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of “misleading” the traders over the ongoing sealing drive. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said a team of BJP legislators would meet Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday in this regard.
