Big E20 stir tomorrow | Kejriwal to start campaign, Poonawalla hunger strike

The agitation against the Centre's E20 (20% ethanol-blended petrol) programme is set to gather momentum on Saturday, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal launching a nationwide campaign and activist Tehseen Poonawalla intensifying his protest through a silent march and hunger strike. Ahead of the launch, Kejriwal hinted that a "prominent personality" would join the campaign at the National Town Hall Against E20, scheduled at the Constitution Club in New Delhi. In a post on X, he invited people to participate in person or virtually, saying the guest would hear public concerns and help take a "decision" on the issue. The AAP also released a WhatsApp number for online registrations.

Kejriwal had announced the campaign on July 27, linking the opposition to the E20 policy with the recent student-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement that culminated in the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He argued that public pressure had already compelled the government to act once and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address concerns surrounding ethanol-blended petrol before the issue escalated further. Alleging that motorists were facing vehicle damage and lower fuel efficiency, Kejriwal appealed to the Centre to resolve the matter without allowing it to develop into a larger public agitation. The AAP expects thousands of people to attend the event physically and virtually.

Alongside the AAP campaign, Poonawalla announced that he would march alone to Gandhi Smriti and begin a silent protest coupled with a hunger strike. Poonawalla had led the first public demonstration against the ethanol-blending programme on July 5 under the banner of Team Bharat. Although the organisation had earlier planned a march near Parliament Street, it withdrew the programme after Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri met its representatives and sought more time to consider their demands. Poonawalla, however, said he would continue his personal protest against the policy.

The Centre's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme has emerged as a fresh political flashpoint following the conclusion of the CJP protests. While the government maintains that E20 fuel may marginally reduce mileage but does not damage vehicles, critics contend that the nationwide rollout was premature and has adversely affected fuel efficiency, engine performance and maintenance costs. Apart from the AAP and Team Bharat, the Delhi Taxi and Transport Owners and Tour Operators Association has also voiced opposition to the policy. With Kejriwal's nationwide campaign beginning on Saturday, the ethanol-blending programme appears poised to become the next major political battleground.