3 min readNew DelhiAug 5, 2026 01:19 AM IST
Delhi Police on Tuesday stopped AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and other party leaders from marching towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence with around 100 people to submit over 2.3 lakh petitions against E20-blended petrol, prompting them to stage a protest on Firoz Shah Road.
Kejriwal was accompanied by former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and AAP leader Jasmine Shah, among others.
The march was stopped near 5, Firoz Shah Road. Protesters carried bundles of petitions – collected from across the country – and raised slogans against the Centre’s ethanol-blended fuel policy. Police later took custody of the petitions after informing the delegation that the PM would not meet them.
The petition, addressed to the PM, said there was “neither logic, nor science, nor engineering, nor economics” justifying the government’s E20 policy, and urged authorities to give consumers the choice between pure petrol and E20 at fuel stations, and to lower E20’s price to reflect its reduced calorific value and mileage.
Addressing mediapersons later in the day, Kejriwal said AAP had sought an appointment with the PM a month ago but received no response. He called the refusal to meet the delegation a reflection of a “dictatorial attitude”.
“The BJP-led Central Government itself admitted in Parliament that fuel efficiency does decrease (in case of E20 petrol). It also admitted that engine components are affected, specifically the rubber components. So, if engine parts are getting damaged and mileage is reducing, why is this being imposed forcibly,” Kejriwal asked.
He reiterated that the Centre was pushing E20 due to pressure from US President Donald Trump. “Trump is putting so much pressure on him that PM Modi does not have the courage to say no. He is forcing India to buy ethanol from the US and sell it here.”
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He warned that if the policy is not withdrawn, “the country will once again be compelled to launch a major movement”.
The BJP, meanwhile, alleged that Kejriwal is trying to revive his “failed politics” through his protest. “…E20 has not even been implemented for four months, yet he claims vehicles have been getting damaged for the last four years. That itself shows how unbalanced and prejudiced his allegations are,” BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told mediapersons in the Parliament House complex.
He alleged that the AAP leader has failed to produce any technical or scientific evidence to support his claims. “If he is indeed a mechanical engineer, he should explain the impact of E20 fuel on an engine’s suction, compression, power and exhaust cycles. He should explain its impact on the piston and cylinder. Instead, there is no research, no evidence and no data from any company. He is only trying to create confusion,” Trivedi claimed.
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