Will sit outside Gadkari's house, says Tehseen Poonawalla ahead of E20 protest

The debate over ethanol-blended petrol is set to move from social media to the streets in India for the first time, with entrepreneur and television personality Tehseen Poonawalla announcing a protest against the Centre's E20 fuel rollout at Delhi's Jantar Mantar at 2 pm on Sunday. Poonawalla warned that if the permission to protest at Jantar Mantar was not allowed, a handful of demonstrators could instead sit outside the residence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who is at the forefront of the ethanol-blending campaign.

The protest, organised under the banner "TEAM BHARAT against the Ethanol Scam", is being billed by its organisers as the first big public demonstration against the "rushed implementation" of the BJP-led Centre's ethanol-blending policy.

Opposition to E20 petrol has so far largely remained confined to social media, automobile fora and consumer groups, but organisers claim growing public frustration over a drop in mileage and alleged vehicle wear and tear has now pushed the issue onto the streets. Video after video is emerging of people showing how fuel from petrol pumps seem to be "adulterated" and not blended. There are scores of clips in which people are complaining of a big drop in mileage because of ethanol-blended petrol and the damage that the fuel is doing to their vehicles.

The government has denied these claims, with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri saying on Thursday that the drop in mileage due to E20 was "minor". "It is well established that when you have ethanol in a vehicle, which they use in racing cars also, acceleration increases, knocking improves," said Puri.

The critics are refusing to buy any of that logic. They are not against the ethanol policy but how it is being implemented and users being left without a choice. Around 80% of the vehicles in India weren't E20 compatible as of April 2024, according to Context Journalism of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"We have requested permission from the Delhi Police, but they are gasping and ghosting us," Poonawalla told India Today Digital. "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," he said.

When asked about what the organisers would do if permission was denied, Poonawalla said the decision would ultimately rest with the participants but suggested a sit-in outside the residence of Union minister Nitin Gadkari could be an option. While he said that with a chuckle, his determination was obvious.

"More than 10,000 people are expected to join in. I am not the only decision-maker. I will have to ask them [other organisers] what they want to do if permission to protest is denied. But I think some of us should sit outside Nitin Gadkari's house," he said.

MIDDLE CLASS HAS BEEN CHEATED, CARS DAMAGED BY ETHANOL: TEHSEEN POONAWALLA

While speaking to India Today Digital, Poonawalla said the protest is being organised not by any political party or political force but by ordinary vehicle owners who believe the government's ethanol policy has adversely affected their cars.

"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 in their vehicle because of ethanol. They may have political preferences, but this is not a political protest," he said.

Despite the middle class traditionally staying away from street protests, Poonawalla claimed the issue has struck a chord with car owners and was likely to see good participation.

"The middle class feels cheated because their hard-earned money has gone into buying these vehicles. The false implementation of ethanol blending is the trigger that is bringing people out," he said.

He also added that the mobilisation of protestors was happening organically.

"We have not spent a single rupee. The crowd will be coming entirely through word of mouth and social media. We have not even sought media coverage. This is an issue that affects every Indian, and automatically the media is providing us coverage," he told India Today Digital.

WHAT IS THE DEMAND OF INDIA'S E20 PROTESTORS?

According to Poonawalla, the agitators have three principal demands from the Centre.

First, they want the government to provide all policy documents and technical studies related to E20 blending to the public.

Second, they are demanding consumers be given a choice by making different fuel variants, including ethanol-free petrol and lower ethanol blends such as E5 and E15, available at reasonable prices.

Third, they want the government to halt any move towards higher ethanol blends such as E25 or E30 until adequate infrastructure is created and stakeholders, including consumers and automobile manufacturers, are consulted.

"Our demand is simple: don't rush into E25 or E30 without consulting the people and without creating a 360-degree ecosystem first," Poonawalla told India Today Digital.

WHY IS THERE OPPOSITION AGAINST ETHANOL POLICY?

The Central government has been steadily expanding ethanol blending in petrol as part of its strategy to reduce crude oil imports, improve energy security, cut emissions and increase farmers' income by creating demand for sugarcane and grain-based ethanol.

However, critics argue that many existing vehicles were not originally designed for sustained use of E20 fuel and claim higher ethanol content can reduce fuel efficiency, affect engine components in older vehicles and increase long-term maintenance costs.

Several vehicle owners have also questioned the transparency of the rollout and sought clearer data on vehicle compatibility and performance.

The government, however, maintains that automobile manufacturers have introduced E20-compatible vehicles and that the transition is backed by technical studies and phased implementation.

Earlier this week, Attorney General R Venkataramani told a court hearing that E20 was an "experiment" whose results would only come out next year. The government denied the remark was ever made. But Poonawalla shared a video of the court hearing showing Venkataramani saying so. The clip has since gone viral.

CONGRESS AND AAP ALSO QUESTION E20 ROLLOUT

The Modi government's ethanol-blending policy is also facing a lot of political criticism, with both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress questioning its rollout.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Centre had admitted before the Supreme Court that E20 fuel was an "experiment" and questioned why it had been made mandatory for the entire country instead of being tested on a limited number of vehicles.

Claiming that vehicle owners were reporting engine damage and reduced mileage, Kejriwal said the government had effectively turned India into an "experimental lab" and announced that he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to withdraw the policy.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera also targeted the Centre, recalling the BJP's 2014 promise that ethanol would be produced from municipal waste and petrol prices would fall to Rs 55 per litre.

While mocking the Modi government for achieving its 20% ethanol-blending target ahead of schedule, Khera questioned whether farmers had actually benefited from the policy, asking the government to make public data on the financial gains promised to cultivators.

LOOK AT HARDEEP PURI'S STATEMENTS: POONAWALLA ACCUSES GOVT OF BRAZENING

Despite all the criticism and opposition, the government has remained firm on its blended-fuel policy.

Poonawalla accused the government of dismissing concerns of consumers instead of engaging with them. He criticised statements made by Puri on Friday.

Poonwalla hit out at Hardeep Puri's ethanol defence and claimed that the government was "brazening everything out".

"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 Delhi Police will grant permission for Sunday's gathering remains to be seen. But irrespective of the venue, the planned demonstration marks the first organised street mobilisation against the implementation of India's ethanol-blending policy, signalling that a debate that began online is now spilling into public protest.

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