Shops across India's capital New Delhi will shut for three days this week to protest a court-order to close businesses operating illegally in residential areas, a retail lobby group said Sunday. The "shutdown called by trade bodies of Delhi has received wide support," said Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Delhi Trade Association.
He said shops would close from Monday.
"Not only are the concerned sections supporting us, but we have groups and organisations who are not directly affected by the sealing drive, also joining our protest," he said.
The shop owners will march to the Delhi state assembly on Monday to register their complaint with the government and hold sit down protests across the city on Tuesday and Wednesday, Khandelwal said.
"In view of not putting the people of Delhi into any inconvenience, essential services, vegetables and transport have been exempted from" the protests, he said. The campaign follows a Supreme Court order last month for the city to close and demolish more than 18,000 illegal buildings in New Delhi. The order affects thousands of small shops in residential areas.