Centre First Told Supreme Court That It Was Only Experiment, Then Denied Having Ever Said So: Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal strongly objected to the Modi government's decision to force E20 (Ethanol-20) petrol on people, saying the Centre has turned the entire country into a laboratory for its experiments. He said the government has imposed 20% ethanol-blended petrol despite widespread complaints that it is causing vehicles to stall, damaging engine parts, and reducing mileage by nearly 30%.

The AAP Chief said this has triggered widespread public anger across the country and asserted that if ethanol-blended petrol delivers 30% lower mileage, it should also be priced at least 30% cheaper.

Sharing a video clip of the Attorney General's submissions before the Supreme Court, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal said, "The Central Government first told the Supreme Court that this is only an experiment. Later, it completely denied having said any such thing. If it is an experiment, then it should have been conducted on a few thousand vehicles first. Only after studying the results should the government have decided whether it should be implemented across the country."

He further said, "I will soon write to the Prime Minister regarding E20 petrol. I want to know what the people of this country want me to write in that letter. Please send me your suggestions through comments or direct messages."

Arvind Kejriwal said, "There is tremendous public anger over 20% ethanol-blended petrol. On June 30, through the Attorney General, the Central Government told the Supreme Court that this was only an experiment and that its future course of action would depend on the results. When this was reported in the media the following day, the Central Government completely denied having made any such submission. It issued a statement saying it had said nothing of the sort and that the reports were false."

Referring to the video clip played during his address, Arvind Kejriwal said, "The Central Government itself told the Supreme Court that blending petrol with 20% ethanol is an experiment that it is now trying. What kind of experiment is this? An experiment is first conducted on 50, 100, 500 or 1,000 vehicles. Based on the outcome of that experiment, a decision is taken on whether it should be implemented across the country. Instead, the government has made ethanol-blended petrol compulsory for every vehicle used by 140 crore people and is now saying it is conducting an experiment. Will the government compensate those whose vehicles are getting damaged because of this experiment?"

Arvind Kejriwal further said, "People are protesting against this on a massive scale. They are saying that their vehicles are giving 30% lower mileage, but the government is completely denying it. Even the Central Government's own expert, Bharat Petroleum Chemical Limited Executive Director Anurag, has said that ethanol naturally delivers lower mileage because of its chemical properties and that mileage drops by around 30%. When the government's own expert is saying mileage falls by 30%, then ethanol-blended petrol should also be 30% cheaper. The government is charging the same price while people are getting 30% lower mileage. This has substantially increased people's fuel expenses."

Arvind Kejriwal added, "Many people are saying that ethanol-blended petrol is damaging vehicle parts, harming engines and causing corrosion. If people are opposing it, why is the government forcing it upon them? Why is it refusing to withdraw it? It is the people who elected this government. The government's duty is to respect the people's mandate, listen to their concerns and govern according to their wishes."

Concluding his remarks, Arvind Kejriwal stated, "I will write to the Prime Minister within the next few days and request him to withdraw E20 petrol. I once again appeal to the people of the country to tell me through comments or direct messages what I should write in that letter."