Red-tapism is back, corruption is thriving, and Delhi’s businesspersons are once again under the thumb of officials—this is the new normal under BJP’s MCD. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj has hit out at the BJP for turning the clock back on ease of business in the capital. From making trade licences deliberately complex to unleashing a fresh wave of ‘Inspector Raj’, the BJP is deliberately choking Delhi’s traditional markets already struggling in the age of e-commerce, with even plans to shift historic bazaars like Chandni Chowk out of the city.
Criticising the BJP-led MCD for harassing Delhi’s businesspersons, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “At a time when countries across the world are finding new ways to ease doing business and simplifying complex licensing systems through IT and computerisation, the BJP has done the exact opposite after forming its government in MCD. They have begun squeezing businesspersons the moment they assumed power.”
Pointing to the deliberate complexity of trade licence procedures, he asserted, “It’s clear that the way trade licences are being made unnecessarily complicated, there is corruption hidden behind this complexity. Any process that is deliberately made difficult directly benefits corrupt officials, who exploit businesspersons through harassment and extortion. Making the licensing process more complex is nothing but a gateway to bribery.”
Highlighting how the system has been regressed, Saurabh Bharadwaj emphasised, “What used to be a simple and streamlined process is now being damaged to bring back ‘Inspector Raj’ in Delhi. Officials will now start visiting shops again, demanding arbitrary bribes and threatening businesspersons.”
Exposing how businesspersons will be extorted under the new regime, he stated, “Shopkeepers will now be intimidated with the threat that if they don’t pay up, their shops can be sealed—because the officers have been given that power. This opens the door to rampant exploitation.”
Referring to past remarks by BJP leadership, Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “Even earlier, the BJP Chief Minister had said that Chandni Chowk and the old markets would be shifted out of Delhi. It’s now absolutely clear—BJP wants to finish off Delhi’s traditional trade and destroy the city’s business lifeline.”
Lamenting the growing challenges for local businesses, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “Delhi’s businesspersons are already struggling with fewer customers due to e-commerce platforms. In such a scenario, introducing new layers of red tape is a deliberate attempt to cripple their business further.”
