Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi escalated his attack on the central government’s E20 fuel policy on Friday, posting a 53-second video on social media platform X. Announcing a massive movement against the rollout of 20% ethanol-blended petrol, Gandhi accused the policy of being a vehicle for corruption and a direct attack on consumers. However, the dramatic video featured an ironic twist that quickly caught the internet’s attention.

“Puri Daal Hi Kaali Hai”

In the video, Gandhi is seen standing next to a modern SUV. To emphasise his point, he dramatically opens the vehicle’s fuel tank lid, looks inside, and turns to the camera, twisting a popular Hindi idiom to assert his claims.

“The E20 issue is a very big issue,” Gandhi said. “Normally we say daal mein kuch kaala hai (there is something fishy), but here puri daal hi kaali hai (the whole thing is fishy)”. He went on to state that the widespread rollout of E20 fuel is actively harming citizens’ property.“This is destroying people’s cars, destroying people’s scooters, destroying people’s lives, and literally, is stealing directly from them,” Gandhi asserted, promising that the Congress party would take the issue up in a “massive way”.

Addressing why the opposition hasn’t tackled this issue sooner, he cited the sheer volume of alleged government missteps. “This is a matter of sequencing,” he explained. “In any campaign, we have to decide the sequence of affairs. Our problem right now is that there is so much corruption that there is a huge list of issues that we have to sequence”.

In a social media post on X, Rahul shared a video and accused the government of "stealing directly out of people's pockets". "This E20 issue is a very serious matter. Usually, we say, 'Daal mein kuch kaala hai.' But here, the whole daal is black," the Congress leader said.

"Brothers and sisters, this is a matter of priorities. In any campaign, we have to decide the order in which issues are taken up. The problem right now is that there is so much corruption that there is a long list of issues we have to prioritise. But don't worry. We will take up the E20 issue in a big way because it is damaging people's cars and scooters and their lives and is, quite literally, stealing money directly out of their pockets," he added.

The remarks came days after Congress alleged that the Centre's push for E20 petrol had increased fuel costs for consumers while primarily benefiting ethanol producers, claiming motorists were paying more despite assurances of cheaper fuel. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that since March 2025, regular fuel stations across the country had been supplying "practically only E20 petrol". Referring to earlier statements by Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, he said the government had claimed ethanol blending would bring the price of diesel down to Rs 50 per litre and provide a petrol alternative at Rs 55 per litre, but no such reduction had materialised.

"On the contrary, according to an independent analysis, between April 2023 and March 2026, consumers collectively spent an additional approximately Rs 88,234 crore to compensate for the lower mileage from ethanol-blended fuel," he wrote in a post on X.

He further claimed that the Centre could have reduced the retail price of E20 petrol to offset the lower fuel efficiency and noted that NITI Aayog's Ethanol Roadmap had recommended financial and tax incentives for E10 and E20 fuels to compensate consumers. "E20 has stripped the average middle-class Indian of options, imposed higher fuel costs on them, and placed an extra burden on the very vehicle they saved for years to buy. If any segment has benefited the most from E20, it is the ethanol producers," Ramesh said. However, the Centre has maintained that ethanol blending helps reduce India's dependence on imported crude oil and supports farmers by creating demand.

The BJP's Jammu & Kashmir unit took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, claiming the vehicle used in his video undermined his argument. In a post on X, the BJP wrote, “Poor choreography, Pappu Ji! The prop itself revealed the truth: E20 Compliant.”Understanding the E20 Fuel Controversy

The debate revolves around the Centre's rollout of E20 petrol, which contains 20% ethanol and 80% petrol, across the country. The government says the policy will reduce crude oil imports, lower carbon emissions, improve energy security and support farmers by increasing demand for ethanol produced from crops such as sugarcane and maize. India achieved its 20% ethanol blending target in 2025, ahead of schedule, and E20 is now the standard petrol sold nationwide.

That said, Opposition parties, some vehicle owners and sections of the automobile industry have raised concerns over its implementation.

The key concerns of E20 use:

• Vehicle compatibility: Owners of older petrol vehicles fear E20 may affect engines and fuel system components that were not designed for higher ethanol blends.
• Lower fuel efficiency: E20 will reduce mileage by around 2-6%, depending on the vehicle, said Union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari in Parliament recently. Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri also made the same claims earlier this year.
• Lack of consumer choice: Motorists should be allowed to choose between E20 and conventional petrol, particularly those driving older vehicles, commuters told HT earlier.
• Vehicle damage concerns: Some motorists have reported engine-related problems after using E20 fuel. There is currently no conclusive nationwide evidence that E20 itself is causing widespread vehicle failures.

Earlier this week, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) withdrew an earlier warning related to possible damage from contaminated ethanol-blended fuel, saying the available data required further verification.

AAP Joins the Opposition Chorus

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also raised concerns over the policy, calling for transparency and consumer choice. AAP's national convenor Kejriwal referred to an alleged SIAM report that, according to him, showed concerns over chloride and moisture levels in E20 fuel and their possible impact on vehicle engines. He questioned why the report was reportedly withdrawn and demanded that any technical findings be made public.

The party has asked the Centre to allow consumers to choose between E20 and conventional petrol instead of limiting them to a single fuel option. It has also sought an independent review of the issues it says have been flagged regarding the fuel blend. AAP says that consumers should have complete information about the policy and the flexibility to select the fuel best suited to their vehicles.

The E20 Compliant Irony

Despite the fiery rhetoric against E20 fuel, there was a glaring contradiction in the video. When Gandhi opened the fuel lid to deliver his criticism, the fuel tank cap itself clearly indicated that the vehicle was, in fact, an ‘E20’ compliant car. This detail undercut the dramatic premise of the video, as Gandhi was using a vehicle specifically engineered to run on the 20% ethanol-blended fuel to demonstrate how the very same fuel is supposedly “destroying” cars.

The irony of ranting against E20 while relying on an E20-ready vehicle is yet another gaffe in the storied list of faux pas that has come to define Rahul Gandhi’s online persona.

Government Stance and Broader Context

The Centre has defended the E20 programme, saying it has been scientifically evaluated and is a key part of India's biofuel strategy. According to the government, the initiative aims to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, cut emissions, support domestic ethanol production and strengthen India's long-term energy security. In June, the government approved the regulatory framework for E100 fuel. Nitin Gadkari announced that he signed the regulations which would create a legal framework for automakers to introduce E100-compatible vehicles.

The central government’s push for E20 fuel, petrol blended with 20% ethanol, is primarily aimed at reducing India’s heavy reliance on crude oil imports and cutting down on vehicular emissions. However, the accelerated rollout has faced pushback from various quarters. Critics have raised concerns regarding lower mileage, the potential lack of compatibility with older vehicle engines, and the limited choices left for consumers at fuel pumps. Gandhi’s latest video aligns with recent opposition movements, including a protest march led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal earlier this week on the same E20 issue. As the Congress prepares to elevate this to a “massive” campaign, it remains to be seen how they will address the ironic slip-up that accompanied their opening salvo.