Not allowed to reopen, Delhi gym owners begin protest

Members from the Indian Gym’s Welfare Federation gathered near Safdarjung Airport on Friday morning to stage a protest against the Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal for not allowing gyms and fitness centres to reopen in Delhi.

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Federation president Sunil Kumar Tonk said, “While gyms in the neighbouring towns, including Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad, have opened up, lakhs of people employed in Delhi gyms are suffering. There are many who have to borrow from friends to run their houses. It has been more than six months that gyms have been shut. If all other places, including restaurants and salons, can open, why are they not allowing gyms to be opened in Delhi? We are ready with all precautions. It is a loss of livelihood for lakhs of people, the government must wake up now,” said Tonk.

Over a thousand people had gathered for the protest. “There was no disruption until Friday morning and the beat police took stock of the situation,” said Atul Kumar Thakur, deputy commissioner of police (south).

The group now plans to hold another protest at the chief minister’s house at Flagstaff Road, Civil Lines.

There are over 6,000 gyms and fitness centres across Delhi employing over 100,000 people.

Delhi Congress vice-president Abhishek Dutt said, “These people are suffering and many have had to sell their assets to make ends meet. The Delhi government just wrote a letter urging the L-G to open the gyms, but what about the electricity and water bills, which now run into thousands even as the establishments have been shut. The government must come out and support them by waiving their mounting bills and giving them some relaxation,” said Dutt, also a councillor from Andrews Ganj ward