New Delhi, August 7: In a sharp critique of the central government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targeted the E20 (20% ethanol blended) fuel during a Lok Sabha session on Friday. He stated that the Congress party will soon elevate this issue on a larger platform. Gandhi accused the government of harming people’s vehicles and directly extracting money from their pockets.
Sharing a video on the social media platform ‘X’, he remarked, “The issue of E20 is extremely serious. It is often said that ‘there’s something fishy,’ but in this case, the entire situation is suspicious.”
He emphasized that any public campaign must prioritize certain issues. Currently, there are so many corruption-related cases that a long list of priorities has emerged. However, he assured that Congress will significantly raise the E20 issue.
Gandhi stated, “E20 is damaging people’s cars and scooters, affecting their lives, and truly taking money directly from their wallets.”
His comments come at a time when Congress recently alleged that the central government’s push for E20 petrol has imposed additional financial burdens on consumers, while primarily benefiting ethanol producers. The party claims that despite government assertions of cheaper fuel, ordinary consumers are paying higher prices.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also criticized the central government on this matter. He noted that starting March 2025, most petrol pumps across the country will predominantly offer only E20 petrol.
Citing previous statements from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, he mentioned that the government had claimed that ethanol blending would make diesel available at ₹50 per liter and petrol at ₹55 per liter, yet consumers have not seen any such benefits.
Ramesh referenced an independent analysis, asserting that from April 2023 to March 2026, the lower mileage from ethanol-blended fuel would burden consumers with an additional ₹88,234 crore. He accused the government of implementing a policy that directly impacts ordinary vehicle drivers.
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