Kejriwal claims Centre pushed E20 fuel policy under US pressure

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday alleged that the BJP-led central government had accelerated the rollout of E20 petrol under pressure from US President Donald Trump to create a larger Indian market for American ethanol.

Addressing reporters, the former Delhi chief minister claimed the ethanol blending programme had been implemented without adequate changes to fuel infrastructure and despite a large number of existing vehicles not being designed for petrol containing 20 per cent ethanol.

Kejriwal alleged that the United States, as the world's largest ethanol producer, was seeking overseas markets for surplus production and that India was being pushed to increase consumption.

He claimed India had imported one billion litres of ethanol from the US last year and would import five billion litres this year, alleging that the E20 programme would facilitate a significant increase in American ethanol imports.

Kejriwal also claimed that the US itself had not adopted E20 petrol nationwide and continued to rely predominantly on fuels with lower ethanol content.

Questioning the pace at which the programme was introduced, the AAP leader said the government had provided only about three years for the transition after announcing the policy in 2022.

He argued that this was insufficient to make the necessary changes across the fuel supply chain and vehicle fleet.

Kejriwal alleged that petrol stations had not been adequately redesigned, storage facilities had not been fully upgraded and fuel transportation infrastructure had not been sufficiently modified before the nationwide rollout.

He further claimed that nearly 30 crore vehicles manufactured before 2023 — including about 22 crore two-wheelers and eight crore cars — were not designed to operate on E20 petrol.

The AAP chief also questioned the economic case for the fuel, claiming that ethanol was more expensive than petrol while delivering lower mileage.

Citing uncertainty over the longer-term blending roadmap, Kejriwal urged consumers to reconsider buying new petrol or diesel vehicles until the government provided greater clarity.

"Today you may buy an E20-compliant vehicle, and tomorrow the government may introduce E30 or E40," he said, arguing that consumers needed certainty before making long-term vehicle purchases.

The AAP has stepped up its campaign against the E20 programme, organising what Kejriwal described as a nationwide online town hall and launching an online petition opposing the policy.

He also sought to turn the issue into an electoral campaign ahead of the 2027 Goa Assembly elections, urging voters to defeat the BJP. Kejriwal claimed that an electoral setback for the ruling party could pressure the Centre to reconsider the E20 policy.

The AAP leader also targeted the Congress, arguing that supporting the party would not lead to a reversal of the ethanol blending programme.

With PTI inputs