Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that he would march towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on August 4 with a group of 100 people "who are not afraid of lathis" to submit printouts of petitions signed by over two lakh citizens opposing the Centre's E20 petrol policy.
The announcement came at the conclusion of the National Town Hall Against E20, held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. During the event, Kejriwal linked the rollout of 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol to the recently signed India-US trade agreement and alleged that the policy was being implemented "to keep America happy." AAP leaders also highlighted the heavy deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police personnel outside the venue.
Delhi had recently witnessed massive protests over the NEET-UG paper leak issue, which culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a police crackdown on demonstrators on July 20 intensified the agitation.
Addressing a large gathering, including participants joining virtually, Kejriwal said the online petition launched a few days ago had already received more than two lakh signatures.
"I have taken printouts of all the signatures. On Tuesday, August 4, at noon, I will personally walk towards the Prime Minister's residence to submit these petitions. There is no need for everyone to come. I will take 100 people with me who are not afraid of lathis," he said, inviting volunteers to contact him through social media if they wished to participate.
The announcement came even as activist Tehseen Poonawalla claimed he had been placed under house arrest in New Delhi ahead of his planned march to Gandhi Smriti and day-long hunger strike against the Centre's implementation of the E20 programme.
Kejriwal's three demands on E20 petrol
The AAP chief outlined three key demands, all of which received strong support from those present at the Town Hall.
His first demand was that consumers should have the option of choosing between pure petrol and E20 fuel at petrol pumps, allowing market demand to determine consumer preference.
Secondly, he demanded that pure petrol should be priced lower than E20 fuel despite the latter containing 20 per cent ethanol.
His third demand was that petrol prices should remain below Rs 84 per litre.
"Do you all support these three demands? Then today we formally place these demands before the government," Kejriwal said, urging Prime Minister Modi to discuss the issue in the Union Cabinet and withdraw the policy.
Kejriwal argued that ethanol becomes more expensive than petrol after taxes are excluded, provides lower mileage because of its lower calorific value, fails to generate the claimed savings in foreign exchange and has adversely affected farmers living near ethanol plants due to water shortages, pollution and damage to agricultural land.
Rejecting allegations that the policy was designed to benefit Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's family, Kejriwal said he did not believe that was the Prime Minister's motive. Instead, he alleged that a recently signed India-US trade agreement requiring India to import goods worth 100 billion dollars over five years was driving the decision.
According to Kejriwal, the United States, the world's largest ethanol producer with limited domestic demand, was using India as a major export market. He claimed ethanol imports had already increased sharply and were expected to rise five-fold this year to around five billion litres, with most of the supply coming from the US.
"To keep America happy, ethanol is being forcibly imposed on our country," Kejriwal alleged, adding that ordinary motorists were bearing the burden of the policy.
Heavy security outside the Town Hall venue
A significant security deployment was in place outside the Constitution Club before the event began.
AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj, in a video posted on X, claimed that personnel from the Rapid Action Force, CRPF, Delhi Police and women police officers had been deployed in large numbers.
"Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of RAF personnel, CRPF and Delhi Police officers are present outside the Constitution Club," he said.
The E20 issue has gathered political momentum following the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation that ultimately led to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Referring to that movement, Kejriwal said once people overcome their fear of police action and imprisonment, "the throne begins to shake." He urged citizens across the country to post videos, tag him on social media and strengthen the campaign, claiming that agencies such as the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department would be powerless if all 140 crore Indians spoke up together.
Tehseen Poonawalla claims house arrest
Separately, activist Tehseen Poonawalla, who had planned a silent march to Gandhi Smriti followed by a hunger strike against the E20 policy, alleged that Delhi Police placed him under house arrest on Saturday morning.
In videos shared from his residence, Poonawalla showed police personnel, including women officers, stationed outside his home while questioning an officer about the absence of any written order.
"An entire battalion of Delhi Police, including women officers, has put me under house arrest. Nitin Gadkari is scared of ethanol," he wrote on X.
Poonawalla has been among the strongest critics of the ethanol blending programme and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in recent weeks. His earlier proposal to organise a larger protest near Parliament Street had been withdrawn after Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met his representatives and requested additional time for discussions.
Several vehicle owners and organisations have alleged that the rapid introduction of E20 fuel has reduced mileage, affected engine performance and increased maintenance costs. The Centre, however, maintains that while E20 fuel may result in a slight reduction in fuel efficiency, it does not damage vehicle engines.
With Kejriwal preparing to take the campaign to the Prime Minister's residence and Poonawalla alleging that his protest was blocked through house arrest, the debate over the ethanol blending programme appears set to become the next major political flashpoint in New Delhi.
