New Delhi: The New Delhi Traders Association or NDTA issued a circular Thursday directing all shops, offices, and restaurants in Connaught Place to close by 6:30 pm.
NDTA President Atul Bhargava and Joint Secretary Amit Gupta said the instruction followed calls from NDMC Vice Chairperson Kuljeet Chahal (BJP) and NDMC Chairperson Keshav Chandra (IAS).
“It is has been strictly advised that all shops and establishments, including offices and restaurants, in Connaught Place, New Delhi, shall close for the day by 6.30 pm, today that is 23.07.2026,” reads the circular.
It has been marked “Most Important/Urgent”.
“All establishment owners/occupiers are requested to cooperate and ensure strict compliance with the above directions to avoid any unpleasant situation and save yourself from any loss of property and injury,” the advisory further reads.
According to Bhargava, the circular does not extend beyond Thursday.
“The advisory has been issued basically only for today,” he told ThePrint.
On the scope and origin of the advisory, Gupta said that the authorities are yet to inform the NDTA about the guidelines for Friday.
“They are asking to close the market only for today. And it was a very brief conversation; they just asked us to send out an advisory circular to the members to shut down the market early today. So the NDTA committee has taken a decision and issued this circular,” he added.
The NDTA represents traders across the 14 blocks of the inner and outer circles of Connaught Place, as well as Regal and Rivoli buildings, Scindia House, and the Old Janpath Market. The NDMC is the autonomous civic body responsible for administering the Lutyens’ Delhi area, including Connaught Place.
‘Footfall not up to mark’
While the market has continued to function normally on most days, traders said customer footfall has fallen sharply because of the demonstrations and restrictions in the area.
“The market has been very regular, we are opening regularly, we are closing regularly as such. Within Connaught Place there is no traffic disturbance at all, but yes on the routes coming to CP, they are obviously congested during the morning and the evening,” Gupta said.
He said the disruption was most severe on the first day of the protests when demonstrators entered Connaught Place.
“The ruckus was only on day one, when Parliament march was there. The protesters had come into the outer circle, they came into the inner circle, there was tear gas shelling. All that was only on day one. Otherwise things have been very normal,” he added.
However, Gupta’s business has suffered, as Connaught Place is the market closest to the protest site.
“The footfall is not up to the mark. We have been experiencing a low footfall because obviously we are the nearest market to the protest site. Also, the metro stations are shut, so that also affects customers coming to Connaught Place,” he said, adding that there had been no unruly crowds or disturbances in the market after the first day.
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‘Unwanted elements’
Bhargava said the decision to ask shops to shut early was purely precautionary and driven by concerns that protesters dispersing from Jantar Mantar could enter Connaught Place.
“This has been issued because the situation here is a little volatile. Because once the students and all are removed from Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street and all, they need to come to Connaught Place, which happened on the first day,” Bhargava said.
He blames ‘unwanted elements’ for the precautionary measure.
“One doesn’t know. There are students and protesters and unwanted elements. So the fear is of the unwanted element. The number of people who are coming in today are far too many,” he added.
Bhargava also claims that police deployment within Connaught Place has been reduced, as personnel have been diverted to manage the protests nearby.
“Probably the government was not well-prepared—that so many people would turn out. Even from CP, the number of police personnel partly have been diverted to the protesting area. So if the mob comes in, it will become difficult for people to really attend to what is happening,” he said.
Apart from security concerns, Bhargava said the association also took into account the challenges faced by employees commuting to and from work before they made this decision.
“We have to keep in mind the staff, which has half an hour or 45 minutes in the morning to reach the shop since all the metro stations are closed. They also need time to go back. If the situation becomes bad, it is better that they go back. There are ladies staff also. Keeping that in mind, we have taken a decision to close at 6:30 today,” he said.
Reacting to the advisory, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged on X that the government was preparing for a heavy-handed response to the protests.
“Orders to close all shops in Connaught Place by 6:30 PM this evening. Intense security. Piles of ambulances. Will the Modi government once again brutally attack its own children at Jantar Mantar today?” he wrote.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)