Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal has strongly criticized the Centre over the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, alleging that the government is "forcing" 20% ethanol-blended fuel on citizens without adequate testing.
Addressing the issue, Kejriwal said the Modi government has turned the entire country into a "laboratory" by making E20 fuel compulsory. He claimed that vehicles are experiencing frequent breakdowns, engine parts are getting damaged, and fuel efficiency has dropped significantly, leading to growing public anger.
"The government is forcing 20% ethanol-blended petrol on people. Vehicles are suffering, parts are getting damaged, and mileage has reduced by nearly 30%. If fuel efficiency has fallen by 30%, then the price of blended petrol should also be reduced by the same proportion," Kejriwal said.
The former Delhi Chief Minister also referred to proceedings in the Supreme Court, sharing a video clip that he said showed the Attorney General describing the E20 fuel initiative as an "experiment." Kejriwal alleged that the Centre later denied making such a statement after media reports highlighted the court proceedings.
Questioning the government's approach, Kejriwal argued that any experiment should first be conducted on a limited number of vehicles before being implemented across the country.
"Experiments should be carried out on a few hundred or thousand vehicles, and only after studying the results should they be expanded nationwide. Instead, the government has imposed this on every vehicle in India," he said.
Kejriwal also asked whether the government would compensate vehicle owners if ethanol-blended fuel caused damage to their vehicles.
He further claimed that public opposition to E20 petrol is increasing, with many motorists complaining of a sharp decline in mileage. Citing remarks attributed to an executive director of Bharat Petroleum, Kejriwal said ethanol's chemical properties naturally result in lower fuel efficiency, adding that this supports motorists' complaints.
Announcing his next step, Kejriwal said he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue and invited citizens to share their suggestions through comments and direct messages so they could be included in his letter.
