Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday alleged that the Central Government is forcibly imposing ethanol-blended fuel on the country. He claimed that the government pressured six major automobile manufacturers to hold a press conference declaring E20 fuel to be safe.

 

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Kejriwal said the government was promoting E20 petrol despite widespread opposition from millions of vehicle owners across the country. He alleged that the Centre was misleading the public while pushing the nationwide adoption of E20 fuel.

 

Kejriwal claimed that on July 3, the government exerted pressure on six leading automobile companies to publicly endorse E20 fuel as safe for vehicles. According to him, three companies refused to make such a claim.

 

He stated that Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar and Hero MotoCorp maintained that E20 fuel was safe even for older vehicles, while acknowledging that it could reduce fuel efficiency by 5–7 per cent.

 

Referring to Toyota's official owner's manual, Kejriwal said the document permits the use of only E10 fuel, containing up to 10 per cent ethanol. He further claimed that the manual advises vehicle owners to switch back to ethanol-free petrol if even E10 adversely affects vehicle performance or fuel efficiency.

 

Accusing the government of misleading consumers, Kejriwal said that if the manufacturers' official manuals indicate that ethanol content beyond 10 per cent could damage vehicles, then presenting E20 as completely safe amounts to deceiving consumers.

 

He questioned how E20 could be described as entirely safe during the government-backed press conference when the companies' own technical documents prescribe an upper limit of E10.

 

Kejriwal said he would write to all the automobile manufacturers that participated in the government's press conference, urging them to provide written assurances to customers. He demanded that the companies compensate consumers if fuel efficiency drops by more than 10 per cent due to E20 fuel and replace, free of cost, any vehicle component damaged as a result of its use.

 

He also announced that he would write to the Prime Minister, seeking clarity on who would compensate vehicle owners if their vehicles suffer damage after using E20 fuel.

 

Targeting the government further, Kejriwal alleged that it was citing international examples to suppress public opposition to ethanol-blended fuel. He claimed that countries such as Germany, France and the United States do not use fuel blends above E10, while Japan currently uses only E3 fuel. He added that Thailand offers consumers a choice between E10 and E20 fuels.

 

Kejriwal said Brazil is the only country using E100 fuel and noted that the country took nearly 50 years to complete its transition. In contrast, he alleged that India conducted E20 trials in 2023 and is now attempting to impose E20 fuel across the country within just three years.

 

Concluding his remarks, Kejriwal urged the government to allow consumers the freedom to choose the type of fuel they wish to use in their vehicles. He said the decision should rest with the people, not with the government.