After weeks of protests over, what he calls, “vote chori”, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the government is “stealing petrol” from the public’s cars and criticised the government’s rollout of ethanol-blended (E20) petrol.
They also questioned the use of third-party laboratory certificates, saying these did not disclose sufficient details of the testing methodology to independently verify the reported ethanol levels. Gandhi said the government claims that the petrol contains 20 per cent ethanol but tests conducted on samples collected from seven districts in Congress-ruled Karnataka had revealed higher levels. Over the last decade, PM Modi’s government has accelerated the biofuel programme, with ethanol blending going from less than 1.5 percent in 2013-14 to 20 percent in 2025-26. The minister said samples collected from major fuel companies had revealed ethanol content exceeding 20 per cent. The programme since the 2014-15 ethanol supply year has generated foreign exchange savings of more than Rs 1.97 lakh crore, substituted approximately 316 lakh metric tonnes of crude oil, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by around 952 lakh metric tonnes and resulted in payments of more than Rs 1.66 lakh crore to farmers, according to Petroleum Ministry data cited by the OMCs.
Addressing a press conference, Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad said the allegations were based on tests conducted on samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru. In a joint statement, the companies said the findings cited by the Karnataka government were not supported by tests conducted in accordance with prescribed statutory and technical procedures.
The Congress leader, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also reiterated his challenge to PM Modi for an open debate, saying the issue of ethanol blending could be included in the discussion. So far, he had been pushing the Prime Minister for a debate over alleged irregularities in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
