Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday demanded that customers at petrol pumps should be given the option to choose between pure petrol and E20 fuel. He warned that if the demand is not accepted, AAP will organise a march to the Prime Minister’s residence on August 4.
Kejriwal made the announcement during a “National Town Hall” convened by the party to discuss concerns surrounding E20 fuel, a blend containing 20% ethanol and 80% petrol.
He said petitions against the mandatory promotion of E20 would be collected until the afternoon of August 3, after which he plans to lead a delegation of around 100 people to submit the petition at the Prime Minister’s residence and hold a protest march.
Questioning the government’s policy, Kejriwal said, “If ethanol is not harmful, then why is the government reluctant to make the supporting reports public? Why is it being imposed on citizens without giving them a choice?”
He also alleged that areas surrounding ethanol manufacturing plants face the risk of groundwater contamination and urged the government to release the report it had cited while claiming that E20 causes no damage to vehicles.
National Town Hall saw participation from people across several states, many of whom shared their experiences regarding the use of E20 fuel. Participants claimed they had faced issues such as reduced mileage, higher maintenance costs, and faster wear and tear of engine components, particularly in petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023.
AAP has launched an online petition addressed to the Prime Minister, and the party claimed that more than two lakh people have already signed it. Following Saturday’s program, the petition is expected to be formally submitted to the Prime Minister’s office as part of the party’s campaign against the widespread adoption of E20 fuel.
