E20 turned into 420-petrol chori from public's cars: Rahul slams government

Story Content

New Delhi, November 7, 2026: E20 turned into 420-petrol chori from public's cars: Rahul slams government.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (November 7, 2026) attacked the Modi government over the rollout of E20 petrol , citing test results of samples collected by the Karnataka government, and asked the Centre to come clean on the actual ethanol content in fuel being sold across the country.

In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi said, “E20 turned into 420 – stealing petrol from the public's cars!” The reference was to Section 420 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, which dealt with cheating.

Mr. Gandhi said the government claims that petrol contains 20% ethanol, but tests conducted on samples collected from seven districts in Karnataka had revealed higher levels.

“The Karnataka government collected petrol samples from 7 districts and had them tested at an accredited lab. Look at the results — 11 out of 14 samples contained more than 20% ethanol; 31.2% at IOCL, 30.5% at HPCL; IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara, Shell, whether government-owned or private — all exceeded the limit,” he claimed.

Also Read: Lab tests show ethanol blend in E20 petrol as high as 31% in Karnataka

He also alleged that the companies’ own laboratories had not reported the ethanol content.

Mr. Gandhi claimed that excessive ethanol blending could affect vehicle performance, resulting in lower mileage and higher maintenance costs. He also questioned the absence of labels at fuel stations disclosing the ethanol content of petrol.

“Modi ji, tell us — what's being put in the country's tank? How much ethanol is actually in the petrol? When will action be taken against companies mixing more than 20% ethanol?” he said.

Mr. Gandhi also reiterated his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, saying the issue of ethanol blending could be included in the discussion.

His remarks came a day after the Karnataka government alleged that major oil marketing companies (OMCs) were supplying petrol with ethanol content exceeding the prescribed 20% limit, with tests recording levels as high as 31.2%. It had sought action against the companies.

Addressing a press conference, Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology Minister Rizwan Arshad said the allegations were based on tests conducted on samples collected from Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.

According to test results issued by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories-accredited and ISO-certified Shriram Research Institute in Bengaluru, samples from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) recorded ethanol content of 31.2% and 30.5%, respectively.

The Minister said samples collected from major fuel companies had revealed ethanol content exceeding 20%.

Source: Instafeed Desk.

Photo: Uprising Man, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0