Arvind Kejriwal accuses Centre of forcing auto firms to mislead public on E20 fuel
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the Central government in Delhi of forcing major automobile manufacturers to falsely assure the public that using E20 fuel in E10 vehicles will not cause any damage. Speaking at a press conference, the former Delhi Chief Minister alleged that Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar, and Hero MotoCorp were pressured into misleading consumers despite their vehicle owner manuals warning against using fuel with more than 10% ethanol.
Mr. Kejriwal stated that he plans to write to all automobile companies to demand a written assurance that they will compensate vehicle owners if E20 fuel reduces their vehicle's mileage or damages the engine and other parts.
Additionally, the AAP chief announced he would write to the Prime Minister next week. He intends to ask whether the Central government or the manufacturing companies will bear the financial burden of compensation if vehicles are damaged by E20 fuel, which is being forcefully imposed at all fuel stations across the country.
According to Mr. Kejriwal, the Central government remains adamant on its fuel policy despite widespread public opposition. He criticized the Centre's stance, stating that the reason behind this stubbornness is unknown, but the government refuses to budge. He accused the government of telling one lie after another and adopting new tactics daily to convince people to adopt the E20 blend petrol.
Mr. Kejriwal further alleged that the Centre had summoned six automobile manufacturing companies on July 3, directing them to hold press conferences to convince the public that E20 fuel is perfectly fine.
While three of the six companies reportedly refused to comply, saying they could not tell such a big lie, Mr. Kejriwal claimed that Maruti Suzuki, Toyota Kirloskar, and Hero MotoCorp agreed to the government's demands. He alleged that during their press conferences, these three companies lied to the public by claiming that while vehicle mileage would drop by 5% to 7%, there would be no damage to the fuel tank, fuel system, or engine.
