- Kejriwal urged fuel choice; announced August 4 protest.
- He criticised E20 fuel, alleging India-US deal pressure.
- AAP demanded consumer fuel choice, cheaper E20, lower prices.
- Kejriwal alleged E20 is expensive, harmful, increases imports.
E20 Petrol Protest: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the Centre to allow consumers to choose between pure petrol and E20 fuel at petrol pumps, while announcing a march to the Prime Minister’s residence on August 4 to submit petitions against the ethanol-blended fuel policy.
Addressing a press conference after a town hall meeting on the issue, Kejriwal criticised the Centre’s promotion of E20 fuel and alleged that the policy was being implemented despite concerns raised by consumers. He also claimed the government was pushing ethanol-blended petrol under pressure arising from an India-US trade agreement.
Kejriwal Announces Protest March To PM’s Residence
Kejriwal said the AAP would organise a march to the Prime Minister’s residence on August 4 to hand over petitions opposing the E20 fuel policy.
Drawing a comparison with recent youth-led protests, he said the demonstrations at Jantar Mantar showed that governments begin to feel pressure when citizens raise their voices without fear of police action or arrests.
He urged people to participate in the campaign and oppose what he described as the forced implementation of E20 petrol.
VIDEO | Delhi: “Ethanol is costlier than petrol, farmers are in trouble as it is polluting water, soil; govt forcing E20 on citizens over India-US trade deal”, says AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal), claiming India’s import of Ethanol to rise 5 times more… pic.twitter.com/HoKF0Y2KAB
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2026
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AAP Lists Three Demands On Fuel Policy
Explaining the outcome of the town hall, Kejriwal said participants had agreed on three key demands.
The first demand is that consumers should be free to choose between pure petrol and E20 fuel at filling stations instead of being restricted to one option.
Secondly, he said E20 fuel should cost less than pure petrol if the government wants motorists to adopt it.
The third demand was a reduction in retail petrol prices to below Rs 84 per litre, citing the decline in international crude oil prices.
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Kejriwal Questions Centre’s Push For Ethanol
Questioning the government’s continued promotion of ethanol-blended fuel, Kejriwal alleged that E20 offered no meaningful benefits to consumers. He said, “If ethanol is not beneficial from any perspective, why is it being promoted? People are facing difficulties because of ethanol. It is more expensive than petrol, delivers lower mileage, does not benefit farmers, and does not save foreign exchange.”
He also alleged that ethanol production adversely affects the environment.
“In areas surrounding ethanol production plants, groundwater reportedly becomes polluted. So why is the central government pushing ethanol across the country by presenting misleading figures and against the wishes of the people? Why is it forcing it upon citizens? What is the Modi government’s compulsion or hidden agenda? After examining the issue, it is being done under pressure from America,” he said.
Alleges E20 Linked To India-US Trade Deal
Kejriwal further claimed that the government’s ethanol policy was connected to an India-US trade agreement.
According to him, ethanol costs more than conventional petrol and could increase India’s dependence on imports. He alleged that ethanol imports would rise to five times last year’s levels if E20 fuel becomes more widely adopted.
