Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that he will lead a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday to submit a public petition opposing the alleged forceful implementation of E20-blended petrol.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said he would leave the AAP headquarters at 12 noon along with 100 party members to personally hand over a petition signed by more than 2.3 lakh people. He said the party is also seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss concerns over ethanol-blended fuel.
Kejriwal Questions Centre’s Push For E20 Fuel
Claiming that people across the country are facing problems due to E20-blended petrol, Kejriwal alleged that the Centre was continuing with its rollout despite growing public concerns.
“People across the country are deeply troubled by E20-Blended Petrol, yet the Modi Government is forcibly imposing it on them. Vehicle mileage is falling and people’s vehicles are getting damaged. Despite this, the government continues to push the ethanol-blended fuel without answering any questions or offering any justification. This raises the suspicion that the government has a hidden agenda,” he said.
Kejriwal further alleged that the government’s ethanol policy was influenced by external pressure.
“One allegation being made is that PM Modi has buckled under pressure from US President Trump. Donald Trump wants the United States’ ethanol to be forcibly imported into India. According to one estimate, PM Modi will purchase $20 billion worth of ethanol from Donald Trump over the next five years, which will then be imposed on the people of our country. PM Modi wants to damage the vehicles of the people of India,” he claimed.
AAP Cites Public Response To Anti-E20 Campaign
Referring to the party’s recent campaign against ethanol-blended fuel, Kejriwal said the response reflected widespread public concern.
“On Saturday, we organised the ‘National Town Hall Against E20,’ and it was an overwhelming success. The hall was packed, there were large crowds outside, and nearly 700,000 people watched the programme live. I believe this is a world record for a live event being watched online by 700,000 people. It shows how deeply people are affected by E20 and the level of public support for this campaign,” he said.
Kejriwal also alleged that those speaking out against E20 fuel were facing intimidation.
“Despite this, people are being intimidated. If any influencer, content creator or affected citizen speaks out against E20, they are trolled and threatened with FIRs. That is why people are living in fear,” he alleged.
Sharing details of the petition campaign, the AAP chief said the online appeal had received over 2.3 lakh signatures within a few days.
“A few days ago, we launched an online petition addressed to the Prime Minister. Within just a few days, 2,33,238 people signed it. On Tuesday, I will begin from the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters at 12 noon with 100 people to personally deliver the petition to the Prime Minister at his residence. We want to hand it over to him ourselves and discuss why ethanol is harmful and how people are suffering because of it,” he said.
‘Hope PM Will Meet Us’
Kejriwal said he had earlier sought an appointment with the Prime Minister but had not received any response.
“About a month ago, I had also written to the Prime Minister seeking an appointment, but I received no response. Therefore, on Tuesday we will personally take the petition to him. We hope that the Prime Minister will meet us and listen to our concerns,” he said.
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