Indian Citizens Stage Mass Protests Against New Ethanol-Blended Fuel
The Indian government is facing mass protests from citizens over the mandatory use of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20). The demonstrations erupted after motorists complained of reduced fuel efficiency and damage to their vehicle engines.
According to a Reuters report, tensions escalated after Attorney General R. Venkataramani stated in a court hearing this week that the E20 policy was merely an ‘experiment’ and its results would only be visible next year. Although the government subsequently denied the statement, the clarification failed to quell public anger, with citizens accusing the administration of hastily implementing the regulation.
As a form of resistance, Tehseen Poonawalla, a public figure in New Delhi and a supporter of the opposition Congress party, announced plans for a large-scale demonstration against the E20 policy on Sunday. Thousands of motorists have also reportedly pledged to join the protests, frustrated by the lack of alternative fuel choices at petrol stations.
Beyond the planned street action, hundreds of motorists have flooded social media platform X with complaints about corrosive damage to their car parts caused by the ethanol mixture. A video by a resident named Manish Kashyap, showing his car in a repair shop due to E20 fuel, has been viewed more than 500,000 times. ‘I have spent a lot of money on this car and paid taxes only to find that after two months my car is not functioning,’ Kashyap protested while standing in a repair garage.
In response to the public panic, the Indian government’s Press Information Bureau issued an official statement dismissing the public criticism as ‘wild claims’. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri even compared the ethanol-blended fuel to technology used in professional car racing. ‘They use it in racing cars too, acceleration increases. Mileage, yes, it might drop a little,’ Puri stated in an attempt to reassure motorists.
However, the government’s arguments were immediately rebutted by the opposition, who deemed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy flawed and lacking in public consultation. State minister from the Congress party, Priyank Kharge, launched a sharp protest via social media, asserting that the government has no right to challenge citizens to prove damage while its own internal data remains incomplete. The central government continues to maintain that the E20 mandate is essential for reducing carbon emissions, saving foreign exchange on crude oil imports, and supporting the agricultural sector through the supply of ethanol feedstock.