‘Copy-pasted from US’: Tehseen Poonawalla shares Gadkari video on E20 petrol

The controversy surrounding E20 petrol intensified on Thursday after political commentator and activist Tehseen Poonawalla shared an old video of Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and accused the government of “copy-pasting” ethanol standards from the United States. Poonawalla, who has been campaigning against the mandatory rollout of E20 petrol, claimed Gadkari’s remarks in the video contradicted the minister’s position in court that he had no role in the ethanol programme. He also demanded Gadkari’s removal from office.

Old video surfaces

In the undated video shared by Poonawalla, Gadkari can be heard discussing the time taken by government departments to formulate standards for new technologies. Gadkari said the process could take three to four years and recalled facing a similar problem when standards for ethanol had to be prepared. The minister said he had asked officials to use standards already followed in the United States as a starting point instead of spending years conducting fresh research. He suggested removing the American header, incorporating Indian details, making necessary modifications and then notifying the standards.

Gadkari explained that his objective was to speed up decision-making because a minister had a limited tenure in which to implement projects.

Poonawalla attacks minister

Sharing the clip, Poonawalla accused the government of simply adopting America's ethanol standards for India. He also alleged that Gadkari's remarks contradicted the position taken in court concerning his involvement with the ethanol programme and demanded that the minister be removed. Poonawalla and his “Team Bharat” have been campaigning against E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol.

The activist has sought greater choice for motorists amid concerns over the impact of the fuel on vehicles, particularly older models that were not originally designed for higher ethanol blends.

Gadkari stresses safety

The clip shared by Poonawalla, however, also shows Gadkari stressing that there would be no compromise on safety. While explaining why international standards could be adapted instead of developing everything from scratch, the minister argued that countries such as the US and those in Europe already had established safety requirements. Gadkari's broader argument was that adopting and suitably modifying established international standards could accelerate policymaking without compromising safety. The minister has separately defended India's E20 programme and rejected claims that ethanol-blended petrol broadly damages vehicle engines.

E20 debate intensifies

The latest exchange comes amid growing political and public debate over India's transition to E20 petrol. The government has acknowledged that E20 can result in some reduction in fuel efficiency. Gadkari told Parliament that tests by the Automotive Research Association of India showed a mileage reduction of around two to six per cent, depending on the vehicle category.

Questions have also been raised over the effects of E20 on components in older vehicles. At the same time, the government and oil companies have maintained that the fuel meets prescribed quality and safety standards. The controversy intensified further after reports that automobile industry body SIAM had flagged concerns over possible fuel contamination before withdrawing its communication, saying some of the figures required further verification.

Campaign against E20

Poonawalla has emerged as one of the prominent critics of the E20 rollout and has organised protests demanding changes to the policy. Earlier this month, he claimed that Delhi Police had placed him under house arrest ahead of a planned march and hunger strike against the ethanol-blending programme. His latest intervention has shifted attention from the impact of E20 on vehicles to the process through which India's ethanol standards were formulated.

While Poonawalla has characterised Gadkari's remarks as evidence that the policy was “copy-pasted” from the US, the minister's comments in the circulated video indicate that he was advocating adapting established international standards, with necessary modifications, to speed up India's regulatory process.