Shimla: The Congress on Wednesday intensified its attack on the Central Government over the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, alleging that an untested fuel blend is being imposed on millions of vehicle owners and demanding its immediate suspension until the results of the government’s trial are made public.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, Congress national spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore alleged that the Centre has effectively turned the public’s vehicles into a “laboratory” by introducing E20 petrol without adequate testing, resulting in financial losses and damage to vehicle engines.
Rathore referred to proceedings before the Supreme Court of India on June 30, claiming that the Attorney General of India had stated that the use of E20 petrol is currently an “experiment” and has not yet been formally or fully implemented. He questioned why such an experiment was being carried out across the country instead of being confined to a limited number of vehicles.
“If this is merely an experiment, why has it been imposed on the entire country? Experiments should be conducted on a few vehicles—not on millions of citizens,” Rathore said.
He alleged that E20 petrol is proving to be a “slow poison” for vehicle engines, claiming that it is causing frequent engine failures and a significant drop in fuel efficiency. Rathore further claimed that even a senior official of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited had acknowledged that the fuel adversely affects vehicle mileage.
The Congress leader also questioned whether the government would compensate vehicle owners whose engines are allegedly being damaged because of the fuel. He accused the Centre of continuing with the rollout to benefit companies producing ethanol, while denying any adverse impact on vehicles.
Rathore further alleged that despite ethanol blending, petrol prices have not declined. Citing figures, he claimed that oil companies earned profits of ₹80,000 crore in 2024–25, which rose to ₹1,17,142 crore in 2025–26, while consumers continued to pay high fuel prices.
He also claimed that older vehicles, two-wheelers and agricultural equipment used by farmers and horticulturists are particularly incompatible with E20 petrol and are more susceptible to damage.
Demanding immediate intervention, Rathore called for a complete ban on E20 petrol until transparent findings of the government’s experiment are made public. He also urged the Centre to provide consumers with the option of choosing between conventional petrol and ethanol-blended fuel.
