Kejriwal Announces National Town Hall Against E20 Fuel Policy On August 1

Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a National Town Hall meeting against the Centre's E20 ethanol-blended petrol policy, scheduled to be held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on August 1.

Kejriwal Calls For Public Participation

Announcing the event on X, Kejriwal urged people to unite and raise their voices against the nationwide rollout of E20 fuel.

"When the country's youth united and raised their voices, Dharmendra Pradhan was forced to resign. We must similarly unite and raise our voices regarding E20," he said.

The meeting will be held at 11.30 am on August 1, with Kejriwal also inviting people to participate online.

E20 Policy Sparks Political Debate

The announcement comes amid a political debate over the Centre's decision to make petrol containing 20 per cent ethanol the standard fuel at petrol pumps across the country.

Opposition leaders have cited a 2021 NITI Aayog report and alleged that the government did not follow the phased implementation and safeguards outlined in the document before the nationwide rollout of E20 in April 2025.

Centre Rules Out Immediate Increase Beyond 20%

The Union government told Parliament on July 23 that no decision had been taken to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond 20 per cent.

Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Suresh Gopi said any future decision on higher ethanol blends would be taken after detailed scientific and technical studies and consultations with stakeholders, including automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and research institutions.

The government has also clarified that E85 fuel, containing 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol, is available exclusively for Flex Fuel Vehicles designed and certified to run on it. It does not represent an increase in the nationwide base ethanol blending level.

The government has maintained that the Ethanol Blended Petrol programme was introduced through a phased and consultative process involving NITI Aayog, automobile manufacturers, oil marketing companies and technical institutions. It has also pointed to the long-standing use of ethanol-blended fuel in countries such as Brazil.