The controversy surrounding E20 petrol intensified on Thursday after activist Tehseen Poonawalla shared a video of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and accused the government of “copy-pasting” ethanol standards from the US. Poonawalla, who has been leading the campaign against E20 petrol, claimed that Gadkari’s remarks in the video contradicted his assertion in court that he had no involvement in the ethanol programme.
Calling for Gadkari’s immediate removal from office, Poonawalla posted, “This man copy-pasted the ethanol standards policy from the US. He lied to the courts that he has nothing to do with ethanol. He needs to be sacked ASAP.”
Poonawalla and his Team Bharat have been demanding the withdrawal of E20 petrol, which contains 80% petrol and 20% ethanol, amid an ongoing debate over its effects on vehicles.
WHAT DID NITIN GADKARI SAY IN THE VIDEO?
In the undated video shared by Poonawalla, Gadkari can be seen speaking about the lengthy process involved in developing standards in India. He said government departments typically take three to four years to establish standards and that he became frustrated with the delay while working on ethanol standards.
Gadkari then described an approach he suggested to officials instead of spending several years conducting research.
“One day, I said, ‘Keep your research to yourself. If it is an American law, then cut the header from above, put our details, put our stamp on it, make the necessary corrections and declare it’,” Gadkari said.
Explaining his reasoning, the minister said he had only five years in office to complete his work.
“The US must surely be better than us, and Europe must be even better than us. They must also be thinking about safety, perhaps much more than we do,” he said.
“I will be a minister for five years... I have to get the work done within these five years. If you take five years just to set a standard, then when will the work actually happen?” he added.
At the same time, Gadkari emphasised that safety would not be compromised.
“Now, standards for everything are being prepared -- 100% ethanol, electric vehicles and even hydrogen. My only suggestion is: do not compromise on safety,” the Transport Minister said.
The exact date and location of the speech are unclear. The video appears to show Gadkari speaking at a GatiShakti event. Neither Gadkari nor the government has so far responded to Poonawalla’s allegations.
GADKARI DRAWS CRITICISM
Gadkari’s comments have sparked criticism across social media.
Satirist Kamlesh Kishore Singh, popularly known as ‘Tau’, sarcastically described the remarks as a “rare gem in politics” and said he wished politicians were equally “honest and transparent.”
Journalist Umashankar Singh wrote that Gadkari appeared to focus only on the duration of his own and the government’s tenure rather than the lifespan of vehicles purchased with the hard-earned money of ordinary citizens.
Political commentator Gaurav Pradhan responded cryptically, saying, “Nobel Prize for this explanation.”
Several experts also argued that the remarks in the video appeared inconsistent with Gadkari’s recent statement in Parliament.
Last month, the Transport Minister said in a written reply that the E20 programme had been introduced after extensive scientific evaluation and years of research conducted by organisations including the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
A major concern among owners of vehicles manufactured before 2023 has been that E20 petrol may lead to lower mileage and greater wear and tear, potentially increasing maintenance expenses.
The government has acknowledged that E20 can cause a marginal reduction in fuel efficiency, but has maintained that extensive testing has found no evidence linking the fuel blend to engine failures.
Gadkari has argued that the trade-off includes better acceleration, improved ride quality and approximately 30% lower carbon emissions compared with E10 fuel.
