Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday intensified his campaign against the Centre’s E20 fuel policy, demanding that consumers be allowed to choose between regular petrol and ethanol-blended petrol at fuel stations. He also announced a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on August 3 to submit public petitions against the policy.
Kejriwal seeks fuel choice for consumers
Speaking at the “National Town Hall on E20 Fuel” held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi, Kejriwal said people should have the freedom to decide which type of fuel they want to buy. He alleged that the government had changed its stand on the issue and accused it of trying to force E20 fuel on the public.
Kejriwal claimed that even leaders from the BJP were unhappy with the policy despite the government blaming opposition parties for raising concerns. He said consumers should not be compelled to use E20 fuel if they have doubts about its impact.
Raises concerns over cost and farming
The former Delhi Chief Minister alleged that ethanol-blended fuel would increase costs for consumers and create fresh challenges for farmers. He claimed that ethanol production was affecting water resources and soil quality.
Kejriwal also alleged that the Centre was pushing the E20 policy as part of the India-US trade agreement and claimed that India’s ethanol imports would increase significantly after the rollout of E20 fuel. However, he did not present supporting evidence for these claims during the event.
March to PM’s residence on August 3
Kejriwal announced that the AAP would begin collecting public petitions from Monday afternoon. He said around 100 people would later march to Lok Kalyan Marg on August 3 to submit the petitions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also demanded lower prices for E20-blended petrol and called on the government to reduce overall petrol prices for consumers.
Calls for release of government study
Kejriwal urged the Centre to make public the study it has cited in support of E20 fuel. He said the government has repeatedly claimed that E20 does not damage vehicle engines and should release the report so that people can examine the findings themselves.
The town hall was attended by participants from several states, many of whom shared their experiences and concerns about using E20 fuel, including claims related to vehicle performance and fuel efficiency.
