New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday criticised the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi a day after he posted a video alleging that ethanol-blended fuel is increasing the burden on vehicle owners, saying that the car’s tank shown by the LoP had ‘E20 compatible’ written on it.
The Congress leader had used the Hindi phrase, “daal mein kuchh kaala hai, magar yahan puri daal hi kaali hai”, to suggest that the issue involved more than an isolated problem.
“The Congress will take up the matter in a massive way because the Union government is destroying people’s scooters, destroying people’s lives, and literally is stealing directly from them,” Rahul Gandhi said in a video posted on his official X account.
Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s social media video, BJP spokesperson RP Singh said: “Whenever Rahul Gandhi releases such videos, he should first check whether they are accurate or not. The petrol tank that he opened and showed clearly had ‘E20 Compatible’ written on it. But still, he should speak to the farmers of Punjab as they are, in fact, protesting against those political parties who are opposing E20.”
“Farmers are happy with this and E20 is necessary for the country’s foreign exchange,” he told IANS.
Echoing similar view, BJP leader Gourav Vallabh said: “Rahul Gandhi did not read that it was written on the tank itself that it is compatible for E20.”
“Rahul Gandhi should realise that he is being publicly mocked. He should have at least read what is written on the tank of the car which he was showing. Only speaking lies and misleading people is not politics, instead the first foundation of politics is truth which Rahul ji seem to be losing,” he remarked.
However, the opposition leaders backed LoP Gandhi.
Samajwadi Party MP Pushpendra Saroj underlined that it is not just the Opposition raising questions about E20.
“When common people started facing problems with their vehicles due to E20, they realised that blending and mixing could be affecting vehicles…Ethanol’s disadvantages are greater than its benefits,” he told IANS.
Congress leader TS Singh Deo cautioned that older engines in India may not even support E10.
“In our country the system has been made such that only E20 fuel will be available. There should have been options—petrol without ethanol, E10, and E20. If vehicles are compatible with E10 but not E20, people should be able to use E10 until E20-compatible vehicles are widely available,” he told reporters.
CPI-M leader Hannan Mollah also said: “Everyone is worried that the 20 per cent ethanol blending in fuel is affecting its quality. It is damaging engines and reducing mileage. Many people are saying this but the Union government is forcibly saying that it is fine. They are spreading lies. But this is not right. When questions are raised, people’s concerns should be heard.”
(IANS)
