What was a hardcore BJP supporter doing at E20 petrol protest in Delhi?
On Sunday afternoon amid drizzles, a small group of people gathered to hold a protest against the Centre's 20% ethanol-blending (E20) mandate. The organisers repeatedly
On Sunday afternoon amid drizzles, a small group of people gathered to hold a protest against the Centre's 20% ethanol-blending (E20) mandate. The organisers repeatedly highlighted that the protest was "apolitical" and stemmed from the concerns of car owners. Among the dozens of protesters were also some BJP supporters and a person who said he had been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) for decades now. Like the others, they too weren't against India's Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme, but rather how that was being implemented. Read Full Story While social media has been flooded with claims, this was the first event in which car owners brought their concerns offline. The Centre has junked the claims of a drop in mileage and damage to vehicle parts because of E20 petrol. Ahead of Sunday's protest, a group of experts from the automobile and energy sectors defended the government's ethanol-blending programme. They claimed extensive testing had found no evidence that E20 poses concerns for vehicles. Mumbai resident Raju Ashar claimed that E20 petrol was responsible for a dip in mileage. He said consumers in India needed to be given a choice of petrol variants by the government. A self-described supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, Ashar insisted that backing a party did not mean accepting every policy without questioning or criticism. "We are not blind supporters. We criticise what is wrong. This is a wrong policy being implemented. As a supporter and a voter of the BJP, I cannot support this move of the government," he told India Today Digital. People are concerned that their E10-compliant vehicles aren't meant to handle the higher blending of ethanol in petrol. The government has repeatedly tried to assure people that E20 petrol is safe for their vehicles. Car owners and automobile enthusiasts, however, contested the government's arguments. Several of them spoke to India Today Digital at the protest site on Sunday.
The protest was led by entrepreneur and TV personality Tehseen Poonawalla under the banner Team Bharat. Rally driver Ratan Dhillon from Team Bharat was among the auto enthusiasts who highlighted the mechanical concerns from ethanol-blended petrol in vehicles. BIG MILEAGE DROP EVEN IN E20-COMPATIBLE VEHICLES, CLAIMS CAR OWNER A motor enthusiast, Ashar said he owned a Maruti Suzuki Jimny, an E20-compatible vehicle, and a Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle. Despite owning vehicles compatible with ethanol-blended fuel, he claimed both had suffered a noticeable drop in fuel efficiency. "My Jimny and Himalayan have both witnessed a mileage drop, and there are engine knocking issues as well," Ashar claimed. The ardent BJP supporter had a challenge for Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has become the face of India's ethanol-blending mission. "I dare Gadkari to join me for an ethanol test and I will prove to him that vehicles are actually getting damaged by ethanol-blended fuel. There is a drop in mileage and the engines are suffering wear and tear," Ashar said. "He [Gadkari] talks about saving money through ethanol blending. I would urge him to build proper highways with no potholes. That will automatically help in saving fuel and the results will be seen on the ground," he said. The "BJP voter" also expressed fears that the fast-tracking of the ethanol-blending programme could end up hurting the government politically. What Ashar said had been expressed by people on social media. Several influencers who were seen as backers of the government have been critical of the ethanol policy. One of the volunteers of Team Bharat, the organiser of the protest, at Jantar Mantar on Sunday was a 62-year-old person from Thane in Maharashtra who said he had been associated with the RSS since he was 10. The person shared his name with India Today Digital but requested anonymity for articles related to the protest. He said the demonstration "reflected growing public concern over the ethanol policy".
The BriefWire