Rahul Gandhi Announces Major Congress Campaign Against Centre's E20 Fuel Policy (Video)
Rahul Gandhi has announced a Congress campaign against the Centre’s E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy, alleging it harms vehicle engines and 'steals' from consumers. While the government defends the program as vital for energy security and price stability, the opposition plans to highlight public grievances regarding reduced fuel efficiency and rising maintenance costs.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi today, August 7, announced that the Congress party will launch a major campaign against the Centre's E20 ethanol-blended fuel programme, accusing the government of financial malpractice and harming vehicle engines. In a video message shared on Instagram, Gandhi criticised the policy implementation. "This E20 issue is a very serious matter. Usually, we say, 'Daal mein kuch kaala hai.' But here, the whole daal is black," he stated.
Focus on Economic Impact and Vehicle Damage
Gandhi argued that the shift to E20 fuel - which blends 20 per cent ethanol into petrol - is negatively impacting everyday vehicle owners. He claimed the policy is damaging cars and scooters while "stealing money directly out of people's pockets". What Rahul Gandhi Said When Asked To Support Jharkhand Student Protest (Video).
Rahul Gandhi Attacks Govt Over E20 Ethanol Blending
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Addressing the timing of the campaign, Gandhi noted that the party had to prioritise multiple pressing governance and corruption issues before taking up the fuel policy. "The problem right now is that there is so much corruption that there is a long list of issues we have to prioritise. But don't worry. We will take up the E20 issue in a big way because it is damaging people's cars and scooters and their lives and is, literally, stealing directly from them," he added.
Government Defense of the E20 Programme
The Congress leader's announcement comes amid broader public debate and recent defenses of the fuel policy by the central government. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas recently maintained that ethanol blending has protected domestic consumers from extreme global crude oil price fluctuations. According to official estimates, the domestic use of ethanol helped insulate retail fuel rates during international supply pressures, keeping prices significantly lower than what unblended fuel would have cost under peak global market conditions. Who Is Rahul Gandhi’s Favourite Politician From BJP?
While government-backed studies acknowledge a minor reduction in fuel efficiency for older vehicle categories not specifically engineered for high-blend ethanol, authorities continue to promote the initiative as a step toward energy security and reduced import dependence. The upcoming Congress campaign is expected to bring consumer grievances regarding maintenance costs and fuel efficiency back to the forefront of national political discourse.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2026 07:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
