Arvind Kejriwal to march to PM Modi's residence over E20 petrol tomorrow
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has announced a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over E20 petrol, but Delhi Police have said the proposed
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has announced a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over E20 petrol, but Delhi Police have said the proposed August 4 procession will not be allowed, setting the stage for a fresh confrontation between the AAP and the Centre. Kejriwal said on Monday that he would march to Modi's residence with 100 people to personally hand over petitions against ethanol-blended petrol. He alleged that the Centre was pushing E20 fuel after "yielding" to US President Donald Trump to buy ethanol from the United States. Read Full Story Delhi Police, however, said no permission had been granted for the march and security arrangements were being made to prevent any unauthorised procession. "I will go to the PM's residence tomorrow along with 100 people to personally hand over the petitions signed by the public and discuss issues related to ethanol-blended petrol," Kejriwal said at a press conference.
"People are facing several problems in their vehicles and despite all that the government is continuing with this, which means there is a hidden agenda," he added. The proposed march follows an AAP campaign against E20 petrol, including an online petition that Kejriwal said has collected more than 2 lakh signatures. KEJRIWAL BLAMES TRUMP FOR E20 PUSH Kejriwal alleged that India "yielded" to Trump to buy ethanol from the United States and questioned why the government was continuing with its push for ethanol-blended petrol despite complaints from vehicle owners. The former Delhi chief minister said he had written to Modi last month seeking an appointment to discuss concerns over E20 petrol but received no response. "We did not get any response on the letter, so now we will personally hand over the petition to PM Modi," Kejriwal said. In his letter, Kejriwal had sought the availability of both pure petrol and E20 fuel at petrol stations.
He had also demanded a reduction in the price of ethanol-blended petrol. Kejriwal also described the AAP's "Ethanol Townhall", organised last week, as a "huge success", saying a large number of people joined the meeting virtually. POLICE DENY PERMISSION FOR AUGUST 4 MARCH The proposed march is scheduled for 12 noon on August 4, with Kejriwal planning to be accompanied by 100 volunteers carrying a petition against E20 fuel with 2 lakh signatures collected through the online campaign. A Delhi Police source said no permission had been granted for the march and security arrangements were being put in place to prevent any unauthorised procession. The police response came after Kejriwal announced the plan at an AAP " Town Hall Against E20" on Saturday. DELHI BJP ATTACKS KEJRIWAL Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra accused Kejriwal of trying to outdo the Congress in what he called a competition over who could emerge as the country's "Number 1 anarchist".
The BriefWire