Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Friday blamed the government, not protesters, for business losses in Delhi's Connaught Place.
His remarks came hours after the Supreme Court said it could order compensation if the area's shutdown is found to have caused unlawful losses to traders.
Dipke spoke ahead of the CJP's "Lehra Do Tiranga" march at Central Park at 5 p.m..
"Businesses do not suffer because of peaceful protests," he wrote on X, saying they suffer when the government shuts down a city, suspends internet services and restricts citizens' movement.
He said the CJP has held protests in Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Nagpur, all of them peaceful.
He said he was assaulted in Jaipur but chose not to retaliate. "Demanding answers from the govt is not anarchy," Dipke said, accusing the ruling party of hypocrisy for treating protests as a threat after spending decades organising them in opposition.
An elected government, he added, is "bound to listen to the people, not silence them".
ALSO READ | Ahead Of CJP Tiranga Protest, Central Park In Connaught Place Announced Shut On Oct 16, 17
A Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi made oral observations while hearing a request to list a petition by the Delhi Kirana Committee and the Delhi Iron and Hardware Merchant Association.
The court said it would examine whether restrictions imposed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) were disproportionate.
Advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai told the court the protest could disrupt trade worth Rs 200 crore a day, adding that the NDMC had issued a notice the previous night shutting down the area.
Justice Bagchi said the court had ample jurisdiction under public law to award compensation. "We will act," he said, if the restrictions were found disproportionate.
The CJI said he hoped "better sense will prevail", citing the livelihoods of small shopkeepers. The matter will be heard on October 26, after the Dussehra break.
The New Delhi Traders Association has said protests over the past three weeks hit sales and disrupted livelihoods, and has urged groups to demonstrate elsewhere.
ALSO READ | Delhi Traffic Advisory For Oct 16: 21 Key Routes May Be Affected Ahead Of Protests. Check Full List
Heavy security has been deployed across central Delhi, with over 6,000 police personnel and 220 companies of central forces, according to PTI.
The NDMC has closed Central Park on October 16 and 17, citing "administrative reasons". Police say Connaught Place is not a designated protest site and have imposed prohibitory orders, though a small group may wave the national flag.
The CJP is campaigning for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
Its agitation intensified after leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were sent to judicial custody following their detention at Jantar Mantar on October 13.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.