The debate over ethanol-blended petrol is set to move beyond social media and onto the streets for the first time, with entrepreneur and television personality Tehseen Poonawalla announcing a protest against the Centre's E20 fuel policy at Delhi's Jantar Mantar at 2 pm on Sunday. He also said that if permission to hold the demonstration at Jantar Mantar is denied, a small group of protesters could instead stage a sit-in outside Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence.
Organised under the banner "TEAM BHARAT against the Ethanol Scam", the protest is being projected by its organisers as the first major public demonstration against what they describe as the government's rushed implementation of ethanol blending.
Until now, opposition to E20 petrol has largely remained confined to social media, automobile forums and consumer groups. However, the organisers claim growing dissatisfaction over reduced fuel efficiency and alleged vehicle wear and tear has prompted people to take to the streets. Numerous videos circulating online claim that fuel being sold at petrol pumps appears "adulterated" rather than simply blended, while several vehicle owners have reported significant drops in mileage and alleged damage caused by ethanol-blended petrol.
The government has rejected these claims. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently stated that any reduction in fuel efficiency due to E20 is minor, adding that ethanol improves acceleration and reduces engine knocking, while also noting that ethanol-based fuel is used in racing cars.
Critics, however, maintain that their objection is not to ethanol blending itself but to the manner in which the policy has been implemented and the lack of consumer choice. According to Context Journalism of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, around 80 per cent of vehicles in India were not E20-compatible as of April 2024.
Speaking to India Today Digital, Poonawalla said the organisers had applied for permission from the Delhi Police but were yet to receive a response.
"We have requested permission from the Delhi Police, but they are gasping and ghosting us," he said. "I request the Delhi Police not to act like a toxic lover. We are citizens of the greatest country. Please don't ignore us or deny us our fundamental right to protest. We believe in democracy."
Asked what the organisers would do if permission was denied, Poonawalla said the final decision would rest with the participants, though he suggested that some protesters could sit outside Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence.
"More than 10,000 people are expected to join. I am not the only decision-maker. I will have to consult the other organisers if permission is denied. But I think some of us should sit outside Nitin Gadkari's house," he said.
'Middle class has been cheated'
Poonawalla said the protest is being organised by ordinary vehicle owners rather than any political party, claiming many participants believe their vehicles have been negatively affected by ethanol-blended petrol.
"Those involved are middle-class families, decent, hardworking people who are fed up with the government's ethanol blending. Everyone attending has faced some issue with their vehicle because of ethanol. They may have political preferences, but this is not a political protest," he said.
He argued that the issue had resonated with the middle class because many vehicle owners felt they had invested their savings in vehicles now allegedly affected by the policy.
"The middle class feels cheated because their hard-earned money has gone into buying these vehicles. The way ethanol blending has been implemented is what is bringing people out," he said.
Poonawalla also claimed that the mobilisation had happened entirely through social media and word of mouth.
"We have not spent a single rupee. The crowd is coming purely through word of mouth and social media. We have not even sought media coverage. This is an issue that affects every Indian, so the media is covering it on its own," he said.
Key demands
According to Poonawalla, the protesters have three primary demands.
First, they want the government to make all policy documents and technical studies related to E20 blending publicly available.
Second, they want consumers to be given a choice by ensuring the availability of different fuel options, including ethanol-free petrol and lower ethanol blends such as E5 and E15, at reasonable prices.
Third, they want the government to pause any move towards higher ethanol blends such as E25 or E30 until adequate infrastructure is in place and consultations have been held with consumers, automobile manufacturers and other stakeholders.
"Our demand is simple: don't move to E25 or E30 without consulting the public and without creating a complete ecosystem first," Poonawalla said.
Why the policy is being opposed
The Centre has been steadily increasing ethanol blending in petrol as part of its strategy to reduce crude oil imports, strengthen energy security, lower emissions and boost farmers' incomes by increasing demand for ethanol derived from sugarcane and grains.
Critics, however, argue that many existing vehicles were not originally designed to operate on E20 fuel over prolonged periods. They contend that higher ethanol content may reduce fuel efficiency, affect engine components in older vehicles and increase maintenance costs.
Several vehicle owners have also questioned the transparency of the rollout and called for clearer information regarding vehicle compatibility and long-term performance.
The government maintains that automobile manufacturers have introduced E20-compatible vehicles and that the transition has been implemented in phases and supported by technical studies.
Earlier this week, Attorney General R. Venkataramani told the court during a hearing that E20 was an "experiment" whose results would become clear next year. Although the government later denied that such a statement had been made, Poonawalla shared a video of the court proceedings showing the Attorney General making the remark, and the clip has since circulated widely online.
Political criticism
The ethanol policy has also drawn criticism from opposition parties.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the government had admitted before the Supreme Court that E20 was an "experiment" and questioned why it had been rolled out nationwide instead of being tested on a limited number of vehicles.
Claiming that vehicle owners had reported engine damage and reduced mileage, Kejriwal said the country had effectively been turned into an "experimental lab" and announced that he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking withdrawal of the policy.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera also criticised the government, recalling the BJP's 2014 promise that ethanol would be produced from municipal waste and that petrol prices would fall to Rs 55 per litre.
While noting that the government had achieved its 20 per cent ethanol blending target ahead of schedule, Khera questioned whether farmers had actually benefited and urged the government to release data on the financial gains promised to cultivators.
Poonawalla accuses government of ignoring concerns
Despite the criticism, the government has continued to defend its ethanol blending programme.
Poonawalla accused the government of dismissing consumer concerns rather than engaging with them, specifically criticising recent statements by Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
"Look at the statements coming from Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. This is a government that is high on arrogance," he told India Today Digital.
Whether the Delhi Police grants permission for Sunday's protest remains to be seen. Regardless of the venue, the planned demonstration marks the first organised street protest against the implementation of India's ethanol-blending policy, taking a debate that began online into the public sphere.
