Arvind Kejriwal urges Indians to join protest against E20 fuel
Arvind Kejriwal, former Chief Minister of Delhi and a political rival of Prime Minister Modi, called on Indians to join his party's campaign against the Ethanol 20 fuel rollout.
"If the public wants relief from E20, then they have to convene on the streets and on a very large scale," Kejriwal said in a press conference, after attempting to march on the Prime Minister's residence "with over 2,30,000 petitions against E20."
आज हमने E20 के विरोध में जनता की 2 लाख से अधिक petitions लेकर मोदी जी से मिलने की कोशिश की, लेकिन मोदी जी की पुलिस ने हमें रोक दिया। हमने सभी petitions मोदी जी को भेज दी हैं।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 4, 2026
मोदी जी, हमें अपनी ताकत दिखाने से क्या होगा? आप यही हिम्मत ट्रंप को दिखाइए और देश पर E20 थोपना बंद करिए।… pic.twitter.com/7rRUvLDgND
Kejriwal accused Modi of buying large quantities of ethanol from the US "under pressure" from US president Donald Trump. "They are doing this in servitude to Trump, and the common man's vehicles are getting damaged as a result," he said in a post on X.
E20 petrol, a fuel containing 20% ethanol, has come under scrutiny after viral social media posts claimed it reduces mileage, harms engines and raises maintenance costs in vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends.
The government has previously said it introduced E20 fuel only after rigorous testing. Despite protests from opposition leaders and public concerns, it is pushing ahead with its E20 biofuel strategy, aimed at reducing its dependence on imported oil and lowering emissions.
On Monday, the government firmly ruled out any plans to rollback E20 fuel or move to the E10 fuel blend.
India is not the first or the only country to be using ethanol in fuel. Countries including the US, Thailand, Brazil, Canada and France use various ethanol blends.
