Copy-pasted from US: Tehseen Poonawalla shares Gadkari video on E20 petrol
Did the government simply copy ethanol standards from the US? Activist Tehseen Poonawalla has raised the question after sharing a video of Nitin Gadkari speaking about how India framed ethanol standards.
The controversy over E20 petrol took a fresh turn on Thursday after activist Tehseen Poonawalla shared a video of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and accused the government of "copy-pasting" ethanol standards from the US. Poonawalla, who has been spearheading the campaign against E20 petrol, said Gadkari's speech ran counter to his claim in courts that he had nothing to do with the ethanol program.
Seeking the immediate sacking of Gadkari, Poonawalla tweeted, "This man copy-pasted the ethanol standards policy from the US. He lied to the courts that he has nothing to do with ethanol. He needs to be sacked ASAP." Poonawalla and his Team Bharat have demanded the rollback of E20 petrol - a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol - amid a raging debate in the country on its impact on vehicles.
WHAT NITIN GADKARI SAYS IN THE VIDEO?
In the undated video shared by Poonawalla, Gadkari is seen lamenting the long time taken by departments in India to frame standards. "They take at least 3-4 years. I got tired of it. We had to prepare standards for ethanol," Gadkari says.
The minister then goes on to describe a quick fix he suggested to officials instead of "wasting" five years on research.
"One day, I said, 'Keep your research to yourself. If it is an American law, then cut the header from above, put our details, put our stamp on it, make the necessary corrections and declare it'," the minister says.
He also explains the reason behind his diktat, saying he only has five years to get the work done.
"The US must surely be better than us, and Europe must be even better than us. They must also be thinking about safety, perhaps much more than we do," Gadkari says in the video.
"I will be a minister for five years... I have to get the work done within these five years. If you take five years just to set a standard, then when will the work actually happen?" he further says.
However, in the same vein, Gadkari stresses that the government would not "compromise on safety".
"Now, standards for everything are being prepared -- 100% ethanol, electric vehicles and even hydrogen. My only suggestion is: do not compromise on safety," the Transport Minister says.
It is not known where and when Gadkari made the remarks. From the video, it appears that the minister was speaking at a GatiShakti event. Neither the government nor Gadkari has so far reacted to Poonawalla's criticism. We will update you when Gadkari responds.
NITIN GADKARI FACES FLAK
However, Gadkari's remarks have opened a can of worms and invited criticism on social media.
"A rare gem in politics. Wish all politicians were as honest and transparent. A new standard in lowering them," quipped satirist Kamlesh Kishore Singh, popularly known as 'Tau'.
Journalist Umashankar Singh posted, "Nitin Gadkari could only see his own and his government's term, not the lifespan of the bikes and cars bought with the hard-earned money of common people."
"Nobel Prize for this explanation," political commentator Gaurav Pradhan said in a cryptic post.
Several experts claimed Gadkari's remarks in the video ran counter to his recent statement in Parliament.
Last month, the Transport Minister, in a written reply, stated that the E20 program was launched after extensive scientific testing and multi-year research by bodies like ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India).
A key concern raised by several vehicle owners (pre-2023) is that E20 petrol has resulted in a reduction in mileage and increased wear and tear. It has led to higher maintenance costs.
While the government has admitted that E20 may marginally reduce fuel efficiency, extensive testing has found no proof of engine failures linked to the fuel blend.
The trade-off, Gadkari has argued, is improved acceleration, better ride quality and around 30% lower carbon emissions than E10 fuel.
The controversy over E20 petrol took a fresh turn on Thursday after activist Tehseen Poonawalla shared a video of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and accused the government of "copy-pasting" ethanol standards from the US. Poonawalla, who has been spearheading the campaign against E20 petrol, said Gadkari's speech ran counter to his claim in courts that he had nothing to do with the ethanol program.
Seeking the immediate sacking of Gadkari, Poonawalla tweeted, "This man copy-pasted the ethanol standards policy from the US. He lied to the courts that he has nothing to do with ethanol. He needs to be sacked ASAP." Poonawalla and his Team Bharat have demanded the rollback of E20 petrol - a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol - amid a raging debate in the country on its impact on vehicles.
WHAT NITIN GADKARI SAYS IN THE VIDEO?
In the undated video shared by Poonawalla, Gadkari is seen lamenting the long time taken by departments in India to frame standards. "They take at least 3-4 years. I got tired of it. We had to prepare standards for ethanol," Gadkari says.
The minister then goes on to describe a quick fix he suggested to officials instead of "wasting" five years on research.
"One day, I said, 'Keep your research to yourself. If it is an American law, then cut the header from above, put our details, put our stamp on it, make the necessary corrections and declare it'," the minister says.
He also explains the reason behind his diktat, saying he only has five years to get the work done.
"The US must surely be better than us, and Europe must be even better than us. They must also be thinking about safety, perhaps much more than we do," Gadkari says in the video.
"I will be a minister for five years... I have to get the work done within these five years. If you take five years just to set a standard, then when will the work actually happen?" he further says.
However, in the same vein, Gadkari stresses that the government would not "compromise on safety".
"Now, standards for everything are being prepared -- 100% ethanol, electric vehicles and even hydrogen. My only suggestion is: do not compromise on safety," the Transport Minister says.
It is not known where and when Gadkari made the remarks. From the video, it appears that the minister was speaking at a GatiShakti event. Neither the government nor Gadkari has so far reacted to Poonawalla's criticism. We will update you when Gadkari responds.
NITIN GADKARI FACES FLAK
However, Gadkari's remarks have opened a can of worms and invited criticism on social media.
"A rare gem in politics. Wish all politicians were as honest and transparent. A new standard in lowering them," quipped satirist Kamlesh Kishore Singh, popularly known as 'Tau'.
Journalist Umashankar Singh posted, "Nitin Gadkari could only see his own and his government's term, not the lifespan of the bikes and cars bought with the hard-earned money of common people."
"Nobel Prize for this explanation," political commentator Gaurav Pradhan said in a cryptic post.
Several experts claimed Gadkari's remarks in the video ran counter to his recent statement in Parliament.
Last month, the Transport Minister, in a written reply, stated that the E20 program was launched after extensive scientific testing and multi-year research by bodies like ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India).
A key concern raised by several vehicle owners (pre-2023) is that E20 petrol has resulted in a reduction in mileage and increased wear and tear. It has led to higher maintenance costs.
While the government has admitted that E20 may marginally reduce fuel efficiency, extensive testing has found no proof of engine failures linked to the fuel blend.
The trade-off, Gadkari has argued, is improved acceleration, better ride quality and around 30% lower carbon emissions than E10 fuel.
The controversy over E20 petrol took a fresh turn on Thursday after activist Tehseen Poonawalla shared a video of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and accused the government of "copy-pasting" ethanol standards from the US. Poonawalla, who has been spearheading the campaign against E20 petrol, said Gadkari's speech ran counter to his claim in courts that he had nothing to do with the ethanol program.
Seeking the immediate sacking of Gadkari, Poonawalla tweeted, "This man copy-pasted the ethanol standards policy from the US. He lied to the courts that he has nothing to do with ethanol. He needs to be sacked ASAP." Poonawalla and his Team Bharat have demanded the rollback of E20 petrol - a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol - amid a raging debate in the country on its impact on vehicles.
WHAT NITIN GADKARI SAYS IN THE VIDEO?
In the undated video shared by Poonawalla, Gadkari is seen lamenting the long time taken by departments in India to frame standards. "They take at least 3-4 years. I got tired of it. We had to prepare standards for ethanol," Gadkari says.
The minister then goes on to describe a quick fix he suggested to officials instead of "wasting" five years on research.
"One day, I said, 'Keep your research to yourself. If it is an American law, then cut the header from above, put our details, put our stamp on it, make the necessary corrections and declare it'," the minister says.
He also explains the reason behind his diktat, saying he only has five years to get the work done.
"The US must surely be better than us, and Europe must be even better than us. They must also be thinking about safety, perhaps much more than we do," Gadkari says in the video.
"I will be a minister for five years... I have to get the work done within these five years. If you take five years just to set a standard, then when will the work actually happen?" he further says.
However, in the same vein, Gadkari stresses that the government would not "compromise on safety".
"Now, standards for everything are being prepared -- 100% ethanol, electric vehicles and even hydrogen. My only suggestion is: do not compromise on safety," the Transport Minister says.
It is not known where and when Gadkari made the remarks. From the video, it appears that the minister was speaking at a GatiShakti event. Neither the government nor Gadkari has so far reacted to Poonawalla's criticism. We will update you when Gadkari responds.
NITIN GADKARI FACES FLAK
However, Gadkari's remarks have opened a can of worms and invited criticism on social media.
"A rare gem in politics. Wish all politicians were as honest and transparent. A new standard in lowering them," quipped satirist Kamlesh Kishore Singh, popularly known as 'Tau'.
Journalist Umashankar Singh posted, "Nitin Gadkari could only see his own and his government's term, not the lifespan of the bikes and cars bought with the hard-earned money of common people."
"Nobel Prize for this explanation," political commentator Gaurav Pradhan said in a cryptic post.
Several experts claimed Gadkari's remarks in the video ran counter to his recent statement in Parliament.
Last month, the Transport Minister, in a written reply, stated that the E20 program was launched after extensive scientific testing and multi-year research by bodies like ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India).
A key concern raised by several vehicle owners (pre-2023) is that E20 petrol has resulted in a reduction in mileage and increased wear and tear. It has led to higher maintenance costs.
While the government has admitted that E20 may marginally reduce fuel efficiency, extensive testing has found no proof of engine failures linked to the fuel blend.
The trade-off, Gadkari has argued, is improved acceleration, better ride quality and around 30% lower carbon emissions than E10 fuel.
