New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a major protest against the central government’s E20 fuel policy. He said he will march to the Prime Minister’s residence on August 4th at 12 noon and submit a petition signed by over 200,000 people.
Speaking at a town hall event at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on Saturday, Kejriwal said he did not want a mob but 100 volunteers who were “not afraid of police batons”.
The AAP chief said, “There is no need for everyone to come. I will take with me 100 people who are not afraid of going to jail. Those who want to join can tag me and send messages. We will march and see what happens.”
3 demands from Kejriwal’s government!
AAP has placed three main demands before the Centre regarding the E20 policy.
First, people should be given the option to choose between E20 and pure petrol at petrol pumps.
Second, E20 should be made cheaper than pure petrol.
Third, the price of petrol should be kept below ₹84 per liter.
Kejriwal also urged people not to buy new petrol and diesel vehicles until E100 vehicles are introduced. He said that E20 is causing engine damage and reduced mileage for many vehicle owners.
Why is there controversy regarding E20?
The central government has mandated the E20 policy of mixing 20% ethanol in petrol. AAP alleges that the government is imposing this policy without a thorough study. Kejriwal said, “One ministry says mileage will decrease by 2 to 5%, another says 4%. No concrete study has been done. Vehicles are breaking down, yet the government is forcibly implementing it. What benefit does the government get from this?”
However, the Petroleum Ministry has denied these allegations. It says that after years of testing and use in millions of vehicles, there is no evidence of significant engine damage from E20.
According to the government, petrol grades above E15 have been in use for the past three and a half years, and E19-E20 for two and a half years. Over 200 million motorcycles and over 30 million petrol cars in the country run on these fuels without any major problems.
More than 2 lakh signatures on the petition
Kejriwal stated that more than 200,000 people have signed the online petition addressed to the Prime Minister. He will personally visit the Prime Minister’s residence on August 4th at 12 noon with printouts. The AAP’s campaign against the E20 policy has intensified over the past few weeks. It remains to be seen what stance the government takes on this issue after March.