E20 critics are set to stage what organisers describe as the first public protest against the Centre’s ethanol-blending policy, with a sit-in planned at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla took to X to announce that the demonstration targets the government’s E20 fuel rollout, with protesters demanding that motorists be given a choice between different ethanol blends instead of a mandatory E20 regime.
The protest is scheduled to begin at 2 pm on Sunday, July 5. The campaign, organised against the “Ethanol Scam”, follows weeks of criticism of the E20 rollout on social media and automobile forums.
Political analyst Ratan Dhillon, another organiser of the protest, said preparations were complete, although the group was still awaiting final permission from Delhi Police. He said authorities had indicated that permission could be denied because of the possibility of a large gathering.
Poonawalla’s appeal to supporters
Poonawalla, a vocal critic of the government’s ethanol-blending mandate, announced the protest on X and urged supporters to join the demonstration.
“Tomorrow we are protesting at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, from 2 pm onwards. Join TEAM BHARAT as we raise our collective voices against the ridiculous mandatory E20 blending policy! We will also have a press conference to counter today’s juvenile press conference by the government. Join us,” he wrote on X.
Why the protests?
In a separate post, Poonawalla clarified that the campaign was not opposed to ethanol as a fuel but to what he described as the mandatory nature of the E20 rollout.
He said protesters were only demanding greater consumer choice and transparency from the government.
“None of us seriously opposing MANDATORY E20 BLENDED FUEL talk about insects. You guys got that done, so under this, you guys can brush everything under the hood. The only demand we have is a choice of Ethanol blended Fuels E0, E5, E10 & E20 and all documents in Public domain! #EthanolScam,” he said.
Also Read | AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal opposes E20 fuel rollout, says Centre treating country as ‘laboratory’
Govt’s clarification over ethanol-blended fuel
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday dismissed concerns over ethanol-blended fuel, calling claims that E20 petrol attracts pests or damages vehicle engines “rumours”.
Speaking in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, the minister urged people to rely on scientific evidence instead of misinformation circulating on social media.
Responding to criticism of the Centre’s ethanol-blending programme, Puri said the government welcomed constructive feedback and was willing to address genuine concerns.
“Over the past few days, you may have noticed a stir on social media regarding biofuel blending. I welcome criticism. If you feel there are shortcomings in the work we are doing, please point them out, and we will listen to you; we will incorporate your suggestions into our work and make the necessary corrections,” he said.
However, he rejected what he described as baseless claims about E20 fuel, saying misinformation was being spread without scientific basis.
Puri also stressed that ethanol is a well-established fuel and not a new technology, noting that its use dates back more than a century.
