Arvind Kejriwal's E20 protest stopped en route to PM residence in Delhi
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday led a march towards the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi carrying 2.38 lakh petitions against E20 petrol, but
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday led a march towards the Prime Minister's residence in Delhi carrying 2.38 lakh petitions against E20 petrol, but the delegation was stopped by Delhi Police near Firoz Shah Road, prompting the former Delhi chief minister and other party leaders to stage a sit-in on the road. The petitions, collected through AAP's nationwide campaign against ethanol-blended petrol, were later taken into police custody after the delegation was informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not meet them. Kejriwal subsequently said the petitions had been sent to the Prime Minister's Office and warned that the party would intensify its campaign against the Centre's E20 policy. Read Full Story KEJRIWAL DEMANDS CHOICE BETWEEN PURE PETROL, E20 Kejriwal said AAP had sought an appointment with the prime minister a month ago but received no response. He repeated his demand that consumers should be allowed to choose between pure petrol and E20 at fuel stations. "If E20 is to be, then sell it at a lower price," Kejriwal said, arguing that consumers should not be forced to use ethanol-blended fuel. Addressing supporters before the march, he said, "We are going to the Prime Minister's residence with over 2.30 lakh petitions signed by people from across the country. We want the government to listen to the concerns of crores of vehicle owners who are facing problems because of E20 petrol." The protest came days after AAP held an "Ethanol Town Hall" and launched a nationwide signature campaign against E20 fuel.
MARCH STOPPED NEAR FIROZ SHAH ROAD The march began with around 100 people, including vehicle owners whom AAP said were affected by E20 petrol. Protesters carried bundles of petitions on their heads and raised slogans against the Centre's ethanol-blended fuel policy. Among the slogans were "Trump ki gulami band karo", "Ethanol kharidna band karo" and "Petrol chor kaha milenge, BJP ke daftar mein". Kejriwal was joined by former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, AAP leader Jasmine Shah and other party leaders. Police stopped the delegation near 5, Firoz Shah Road, where Kejriwal and the other leaders sat on the road with the petitions and insisted that the documents be accepted. Police sources said the protesters would not be allowed to proceed beyond that point. "No one will be allowed ahead of 5, Firoz Shah Road. We have deployed adequate security, including Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, to maintain law and order," a police officer said. Police later took custody of the petitions after informing the delegation that the prime minister would not meet them. KEJRIWAL CALLS PM'S REFUSAL 'DICTATORIAL' After the protest, Kejriwal said on X that the delegation had been stopped from meeting the prime minister and that all the petitions had been sent to the Prime Minister's Office. At a press conference later, he called the refusal to meet the delegation a "dictatorial attitude".
The BriefWire