Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over its policy of introducing 20% ethanol-blended petrol, alleging that the government had taken contradictory stands on the issue before the Supreme Court and in public. He also announced that he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the withdrawal of the policy.
Addressing reporters, Kejriwal claimed there was growing public resentment over ethanol-blended fuel and questioned the government’s approach towards its implementation.
“There is significant public anger regarding 20% ethanol-blended petrol. On June 30, the Central Government stated before the Supreme Court through the Attorney General that this was merely an experiment and that future action would depend on the results…However, once the matter surfaced in the media and press, the Central Government completely backtracked. It issued a statement claiming that it had said no such thing and dismissed the reports as false…” he said.
Kejriwal argued that an experiment should first be conducted on a limited number of vehicles before being implemented on a national scale. He questioned why the policy had already been made mandatory across the country despite the government’s reported claim that it was still an experimental exercise.
“An experiment typically involves testing something on a limited scale, say, on 100, 500, or 1,000 vehicles. Based on the results of such a trial, a decision is made on whether it should be implemented nationwide. Yet, you have made ethanol-blended petrol mandatory for vehicles across the country, affecting a population of 1.4 billion people, while simultaneously claiming that you are conducting an experiment. Will you compensate those whose vehicles are being damaged?…” he asked.
The AAP leader further urged the Centre to reconsider the policy, saying the government must respond to concerns being raised by citizens. He also announced that he would formally write to the Prime Minister seeking its withdrawal.
“It is your duty to respect the people’s mandate, listen to their concerns, and act in accordance with their wishes. I will write a letter to the Prime Minister in the coming days requesting him to withdraw this policy…” Kejriwal said.
