Delhi: War of words erupts over market relocation claim

A major political row has erupted in the Capital after Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led Delhi Government of plotting to dismantle and relocate the city’s historic markets — allegedly in collusion with the Haryana Government. The allegation, which Bharadwaj termed a “calculated conspiracy”, has triggered widespread concern among the trading community and prompted a sharp rebuttal from BJP MP and CAIT national secretary General Praveen Khandelwal.

Bharadwaj’s remarks came in response to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s recent statement at a traders’ meet, where she flagged severe congestion in markets such as Chandni Chowk and Sadar Bazar and hinted at possible relocation. The AAP leader called it an “assault on generations of businesses and Delhi’s cultural legacy”, demanding an immediate retraction of the CM’s statement.

At a press conference, Bharadwaj cited a 2022 meeting between Delhi traders and then Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, held at Haryana Bhawan, where discussions allegedly took place about relocating key markets like Chandni Chowk and Bhagirath Palace to Sonepat. “This plan was led by BJP leader Kuldeep Chahal. Since then, Haryana State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) has been actively developing replicas of Delhi’s historic markets,” he claimed.

He added that a market in Sonipat was being modelled after Bhagirath Palace and Chandni Chowk, and said the idea gained momentum due to the BJP’s influence both in Delhi and Haryana. “You want to remove our traders instead of redeveloping our heritage markets,” said Bharadwaj.

He further accused the BJP of reviving a stalled agenda that couldn’t materialise earlier due to the presence of the AAP government under Arvind Kejriwal. “We allocated Rs 100 crore in the Budget to redevelop markets. But officials deliberately blocked progress,” he said, adding that redevelopment — not relocation — was the need of the hour.

However, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal dismissed the allegations as “baseless fearmongering”, clarifying that no market would be shifted out of Delhi. “Instead, the plan is to redevelop these markets with modern amenities at their current locations,” Khandelwal said.

He reminded that it was the Congress government in 2011 that had proposed the shifting of chemical and paper trades to Narela and Ghazipur — plans that remained unimplemented to date.

Khandelwal turned the tables on the AAP, calling the Chandni Chowk redevelopment under the Kejriwal government a “disaster” for traders.

Delhi