The Palika Bazaar Association Friday objected to the market being mentioned in the notorious market list of the US Trade Representative (USTR) for allegedly selling ‘counterfeit’ products, and demanded that the ‘fake allegations’ be withdrawn and the name of New Delhi’s popular underground market be removed from the list. “This is very shocking. According to the list, Palika Bazar market is involved in selling counterfeit products such as mobile accessories, cosmetics, watches, and eyewear. We strongly condemn the false allegations levelled against us,” said Darshan Lal Kakkar, president, Palika Bazaar Association. The 2021 Notorious Markets List released on Thursday identified 42 online and 35 physical markets around the world that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. Among other names on the list were the popular e-commerce website IndiaMart.com and three markets across the country — Heera Panna in Mumbai, Kidderpore in Kolkata, and Tank Road in Delhi. The association has also written to the USTR to drop the market. “The shopkeepers of the market are involved in selling cheaper goods that attract the younger generation as stated in the USTR report. Hence, it is demanded that the allegation levelled against us may kindly be withdrawn henceforth and it is further requested that such false allegations may not be levelled against such a prestigious and customer-friendly market which provides the cheaper goods,” added Kakkar. Palika Bazaar is situated at Connaught Place near the Hanuman Mandir complex and comes under the New Delhi Municipal Council’s jurisdiction. The markets sell articles from clothes to electronic items. Baljeet Kohli, chairman of the Palika Bazaar association, said, “This is a market where people, especially young college-going girls and boys from middle class families, can purchase jeans, shoes, t-shirts under Rs 1,000. While the first copy of any product costs at least Rs 6,000, we sell used items, clothes, and shoes but no one sells counterfeit and pirated products. This is completely unacceptable.” Kohli added that this is not the first time that the market has been named in the list. “Two years ago, they mentioned Palika Bazaar in their list. The matter was settled later after we protested and wrote to the USTR,” he said.
