Confedration of All India Traders (CAIT) leaders led by Praveen Khandelwal were detained by police while attempting to burn Chinese goods in the Karol Bagh area of Delhi.
Confederation of All India Traders' (CAIT) national campaign “Bhartiya Samaan - Hamara Abhimaan”, where Chinese goods were burnt in Delhi's main market Karol Bagh.
— Pratibha Sharma (@PratibhaScribe) June 22, 2020
Praveen Khandelwal and other trade leaders were detained by the police. pic.twitter.com/ySr7UBmrNT
Demonstrating "deep resentment" over the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in a border clash with China, CAIT - an umbrella body of traders with nearly 70 million members - called for an "Bhartiya Samaan - Hamara Abhimaan" (Indian goods are our self respect) demonstration to burn the Chinese goods.
National Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said in a statement, "Traders and consumers across the country have shown great enthusiasm and tremendous support for the boycott of Chinese goods."
He added that the first highlight of the campaign would be seen during the Indian festival of Rakhi in August, when Indian women will tie "India-made rakhis" to their brothers' fists instead of Chinese-produced ones.
Earlier, the traders body had called for the boycott of 500 Chinese goods including consumer products, toys, furnishing fabrics, textiles and hardware.
Arguing that India is well-equipped to manufacture the goods itself, the trade body told media that "the CAIT's objective is to reduce import of Chinese finished goods by $13 billion by December 2021, with the cooperation of traders and the citizens of India."
Meanwhile, several incidents took place in India where people were filmed setting Chinese goods ablaze or breaking them on the street while protesting.
Ties between India and China have been strained after a flare-up at the border over the disputed territory of Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh escalated into a physical altercation, with both countries accusing each other of violating the de-facto border.
While India lost 20 soldiers, including a commanding officer, China is yet to reveal the number of casualties on their side. Both countries are engaged in dialogue to resolve the issue.