E20 petrol row: Arvind Kejriwal alleges 'strong-arm tactics’; BJP hits back

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged that the Centre was pressuring automobile manufacturers not to publicly disclose that E20 petrol could damage vehicles manufactured before 2023, a claim rejected by the BJP, which cited public statements by leading automakers backing the ethanol-blended fuel.Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said he had written to 29 manufacturers of motorcycles, scooters, cars and SUVs, asking whether vehicles manufactured before 2023 were compatible with E20 petrol and whether companies would compensate consumers if the fuel damaged vehicles or reduced mileage.Claiming that none of the companies responded in writing, Kejriwal said he had detailed phone conversations with officials from nine manufacturers."According to them, from a technical and engineering standpoint, using E20 fuel in vehicles manufactured before 2023 could damage the vehicle, including the engine and fuel train system, and could also reduce fuel efficiency," he alleged.Kejriwal further claimed that the officials told him the Centre was "openly threatening" manufacturers."They told me that if they publicly disclosed these facts, they would face consequences, including the closure of their plants or enforcement action by agencies such as the ED, the Income Tax Department and the CBI, which could ultimately shut down their companies," he alleged.The AAP chief also questioned the government's push for E20 petrol."The Modi government has resorted to strong-arm tactics to impose E20 petrol," Kejriwal alleged.He claimed that nearly 30 crore vehicles manufactured before 2023, including around 22 crore two-wheelers and eight crore four-wheelers, could be affected by the fuel. He also alleged that ethanol was more expensive than petrol, offered lower mileage because of its lower calorific value and did not benefit farmers.Kejriwal further claimed that Delhi Police was trying to get a proposed national town hall on E20 fuel, scheduled for Saturday at the Constitution Club, cancelled.Responding to the allegations, the BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya said the country's automobile industry had consistently maintained that E20 petrol was safe and suitable for vehicles after extensive testing. Citing public statements by industry executives, the party said Toyota Kirloskar Motor Country Head and Executive Vice President Vikram Gulati had described E20 as a "high-performance, clean fuel" introduced only after rigorous testing, including on older vehicles.Hitting back at Kejriwal, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya accused the AAP leader of spreading misinformation and ignoring publicly available evidence from automobile manufacturers."Arvind Kejriwal claims he has spoken to automobile manufacturers and that they believe E20 blending is 'not desirable'. The automobile industry itself says exactly the opposite," Malviya said in a post on X.Citing statements made by senior industry executives, Malviya said Toyota Kirloskar Motor Country Head and Executive Vice President Vikram Gulati had stated that E20 was introduced only after rigorous testing, including on older vehicles. He also cited Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti, who said the company had analysed service data from 2.84 crore vehicles in FY26, including over 1.5 crore older, non-E20-certified vehicles, and found no evidence of corrosion, abnormal wear and tear or reduced component life due to E20 fuel. Malviya further referred to Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Varma, who said the company's service data showed no higher incidence of vehicle damage in two-wheelers running on E20. He added that Hyundai Motor India, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto had also publicly reaffirmed their confidence in the E20 programme."When the country's leading automobile manufacturers publicly state that E20 is safe after extensive testing and crores of real-world service records, anonymous conversations and political sound bites cannot outweigh engineering evidence. India's ethanol programme is backed by science, industry validation and years of testing, not misinformation," Malviya said.The BJP also referred to Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer Rahul Bharti, who said the company had analysed service data from over 2.84 crore vehicles in FY26, including more than 1.5 crore older, non-E20-certified vehicles, and found no evidence of corrosion, abnormal wear and tear or reduced component life attributable to E20 fuel.It further cited Hero MotoCorp Chief Business Officer Ashutosh Varma, who said the company's service data showed no higher incidence of vehicle damage in two-wheelers using E20 fuel compared with earlier petrol blends. Hyundai Motor India, TVS Motor Company and Bajaj Auto had also publicly reaffirmed their confidence in the E20 programme, the BJP said.The BJP said the nationwide rollout of E20 followed years of consultations involving the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and testing agencies, with engine calibration, fuel systems, emissions, durability and material compatibility evaluated before implementation. It said "anonymous conversations and political sound bites cannot outweigh engineering evidence" and asserted that India's ethanol programme was backed by scientific testing and industry validation.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.