Protest, but don't disrupt festive-season business: Mumbai traders' appeal to CJP

Amid festive-season shopping, traders in Mumbai have expressed displeasure over the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests, saying demonstrations in the city's major markets and commercial areas are affecting the movement of customers and resulting in business losses. They have appealed to protesters to choose designated locations to register their opposition so that ordinary people and shopkeepers do not face inconvenience.

Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Indian Traders Welfare Association, said that while protesting is every citizen's right, disrupting the normal functioning of the city in the name of protests is not appropriate.

He said large numbers of people visit markets to shop during the festive season. If protests take place near markets, customers may be discouraged from visiting, directly affecting business.

According to Shah, online shopping has become more popular since the Covid pandemic. If such situations persist in markets, customers may prefer shopping online instead of visiting physical stores. This could further compound the difficulties faced by small and large traders, who are already dealing with several challenges.