NEW DELHI: India’s opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday launched a nationwide mass protest campaign against the government’s implementation of E20 fuel as the AAP party chief Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration of imposing the policy at the expense of millions of motorists.
Kejriwal made the remarks on Tuesday after leading a march towards the Prime Minister’s residence carrying petitions opposing the mandatory use of E20 fuel.
30 करोड़ आवाज़ों को दबाया नहीं जा सकता।
जब सत्ता सुनना छोड़ दे, तब सड़क ही लोकतंत्र की सबसे बुलंद आवाज़ बनती है। pic.twitter.com/pQ9R1suyzM— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) August 4, 2026
Delhi Police stopped the march before it reached its destination, after which AAP leaders staged a protest on Firoz Shah Road.
Kejriwal said the party would continue its campaign and resist any attempt to implement the policy in states where it has elected representatives.
2 lakh 33 thousand copies signed petition delivered to PM Modi by Arvind Kejriwal against E20 pic.twitter.com/hZXZ9UqpOd
— The Whatup (@TheWhatup) August 4, 2026
“We have MLAs in Goa and Gujarat and we will not allow E20 to be passed there either. Our legislators will oppose it in the assemblies,” Kejriwal said. He added that people would have to “come out on the streets in large numbers” if they wanted to stop the implementation of E20 fuel.
आज हमने E20 के विरोध में जनता की 2 लाख से अधिक petitions लेकर मोदी जी से मिलने की कोशिश की, लेकिन मोदी जी की पुलिस ने हमें रोक दिया। हमने सभी petitions मोदी जी को भेज दी हैं।
मोदी जी, हमें अपनी ताकत दिखाने से क्या होगा? आप यही हिम्मत ट्रंप को दिखाइए और देश पर E20 थोपना बंद करिए।… pic.twitter.com/7rRUvLDgND
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 4, 2026
Police stop march to PM Modi’s residence
According to AAP, thousands of protesters participated in the march carrying more than 230,000 petitions against the policy before police prevented them from proceeding to the Prime Minister’s residence.
Kejriwal later said on social media that the petitions had been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the march was halted.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s march to the Prime Minister’s residence against the Centre’s E20 fuel policy was halted by Delhi Police, leading party leaders to stage a sit-in protest on Firoz Shah Road.
Carrying over 2.3 lakh petitions, AAP demanded that consumers be given the… pic.twitter.com/oJje9jvy79
— Salar News (@EnglishSalar) August 4, 2026
Addressing reporters, Kejriwal urged Modi to “withstand the pressure” of US President Donald Trump and stop importing ethanol from the United States.
He alleged that the policy benefited foreign interests rather than Indian farmers and called for an end to what he described as the forced imposition of E20 fuel.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said Kejriwal had written to the prime minister a month earlier seeking a meeting, arguing that implementing E20 fuel “under pressure from the United States” would harm millions of people.
AAP leader Manish Sisodia also backed the campaign, saying on social media that “300 million voices cannot be silenced” and describing public protests as democracy’s strongest response when governments stop listening.
30 करोड़ आवाज़ों को दबाया नहीं जा सकता।
जब सत्ता सुनना छोड़ दे, तब सड़क ही लोकतंत्र की सबसे बुलंद आवाज़ बनती है। pic.twitter.com/pQ9R1suyzM— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) August 4, 2026
Party media in-charge Anurag Dhanda similarly alleged that the E20 policy could affect more than 300 million vehicles across India.
Trump के दबाव में प्रधानमंत्री मोदी जनता पर Ethanol थोप रहे हैं, जिसके कारण देश में 30 करोड़ से ज़्यादा गाड़ियां कबाड़ होने के खतरे में हैं।
— @anuragdhanda, राष्ट्रीय मीडिया प्रभारी, AAP #MarchAgainstForcedE20 pic.twitter.com/gRMpZmsJzn
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) August 4, 2026
Punjab assembly passes resolution
In Punjab, Cabinet Minister and AAP state president Aman Arora said the state assembly had passed a resolution opposing the mandatory use of E20 fuel.
He questioned why the central government was accelerating implementation five years ahead of the original 2030 timeline and argued that the policy was causing losses for ordinary motorists. He also called on New Delhi to suspend the programme.
#WATCH | Chandigarh: Punjab Cabinet Minister and AAP Punjab President Aman Arora said, “Recently, the central government implemented E20. Arvind Kejriwal raised his voice against it. Seven lakh people participated in Arvind Kejriwal’s National Town Hall programme. Today, he is… pic.twitter.com/msQ0opMnPB
— ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2026
The Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously adopted a resolution calling for E20 fuel to be made optional, seeking lower prices and the formation of a committee comprising experts and state representatives to study the impact of the fuel on vehicles not designed for higher ethanol blends.
Why E20 has become controversial
India has accelerated its ethanol blending programme as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported crude oil. Ethanol blending has risen from less than 1.5 per cent in 2013-14 to 20 per cent in 2025-26, according to government figures.
However, many motorists fear that E20 fuel could damage engines and increase maintenance costs for vehicles designed for lower ethanol blends.
Videos alleging engine damage and reduced mileage have circulated widely on social media in recent months, fuelling public concern.
