Kathmandu— Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal led a protest march towards the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday, opposing the implementation of the E20 petrol policy. Kejriwal demanded an immediate halt to ethanol imports from the United States and warned that nearly 30 crore vehicles could be damaged due to the new fuel.

Protest Demands

During the protest, Kejriwal declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should not succumb to pressure from US President Donald Trump and stop buying ethanol from the USA. He urged PM Modi to halt the forcible imposition of E20 fuel on the country, stating, "I want to say that PM Modi should not come under pressure from US President Trump. He should stop buying ethanol from the USA and stop imposing E20 on our country." Kejriwal also sent a message to the Prime Minister requesting a meeting to discuss the issue further.

AAP Leader's Concerns

Anurag Dhanda, an AAP leader, expressed severe concerns over the policy's impact on vehicle owners. He warned that nearly 30 crore vehicles face the risk of damage due to ethanol-blended fuel and accused PM Modi of not listening to public grievances regarding this issue. "People are very upset; they are in trouble," said Dhanda. "Ethanol is being imposed only under the pressure of US President Trump… The waste ethanol from there is being dumped in India, so I think this is not right."

Ministry's Defense

In response to criticism over costs and food security, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas defended the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme. The ministry highlighted that retail petrol prices could have surged to around ₹125 per litre during peak global crude oil spikes without implementation of ethanol blending policy in the country. It stated, "The result? Nearly ₹30 per litre in savings at the pump during the peak of the crisis." The ministry also rejected claims that ethanol blending survives on taxpayer subsidies.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.