E20 has become 420: Rahul Gandhi claims excess ethanol in petrol, targets govt

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has accused major oil marketing companies of supplying petrol with ethanol content exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit, citing laboratory tests of fuel samples collected from seven districts in Karnataka.

In a post on X on Saturday, Gandhi claimed that 11 of the 14 samples tested at an accredited laboratory contained more than 20 per cent ethanol.

Taking a swipe at the Centre's ethanol-blending programme, Gandhi said, "E20 turned into 420 - stealing petrol from the public's cars!" He accused both public sector and private fuel companies of exceeding the prescribed blending limit and questioned the transparency of their testing processes.

According to the findings cited by Gandhi, samples from Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) recorded ethanol concentrations of 31.2 per cent and 30.5 per cent, respectively.

The samples were collected from seven districts in Karnataka — Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru.

Gandhi also named Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Nayara Energy and Shell among the companies whose fuel samples were part of the testing exercise.

He claimed that the companies' in-house laboratories had failed to disclose the ethanol content in the samples.

"Modi ji, tell us, what’s being put in the country’s tank? How much ethanol is actually in petrol? When will action be taken against companies mixing more than 20% ethanol? And the debate challenge still stands. We’ll add this issue too – who is actually benefiting from your policies?" he said.

OIL COMPANIES DISPUTE KARNATAKA'S TEST FINDINGS

The claims come amid a dispute between the Karnataka government and oil marketing companies over the ethanol content in petrol sold at retail outlets in the state.

Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad had earlier said that tests conducted by the NABL-accredited and ISO-certified Shriram Research Institute in Bengaluru found ethanol levels exceeding the prescribed 20 per cent limit in several samples.

The state government said the samples were initially sent to the in-house laboratories of IOCL and BPCL, but the reports did not disclose the ethanol content, prompting it to seek independent testing.

COMPANIES RESPOND TO THE ALLEGATIONS

The three public sector oil marketing companies — IOCL, BPCL and HPCL — have disputed the Karnataka government's findings of excessive ethanol blending in petrol, saying the claims were not supported by tests conducted under prescribed procedures.

In a joint statement, the companies said E20 petrol supplied across the country, including Karnataka, conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards specification IS 17021.

They raised concerns over the sampling process followed during the October 2026 exercise, claiming their representatives were not involved and that they had not received retention samples, outlet-wise details or complete laboratory reports.

The companies also questioned the third-party laboratory certificates cited by the Karnataka government, saying they lacked technical details about the testing methods required to verify ethanol content.

They said the reported findings could not be independently validated without the prescribed documentation and samples.

Rejecting estimates of Rs 62,000 crore in annual mileage losses and Rs 39,000 crore in vehicle repair costs, the OMCs said these figures required scientific and technical substantiation.

They have sought complete sampling records and access to counterpart samples for independent testing at an authorised laboratory in the presence of state government representatives.

E20 FUEL DEBATE RAISES QUESTIONS OVER VEHICLE COMPATIBILITY

The dispute has renewed concerns over the quality of ethanol-blended petrol and its compatibility with vehicles on Indian roads.

E20 petrol refers to fuel containing up to 20 per cent ethanol blended with petrol. The Centre has promoted ethanol blending as a way to reduce dependence on imported crude oil, lower emissions and support domestic ethanol producers.

However, concerns have been raised over the possible impact of higher ethanol concentrations on fuel efficiency and vehicle components, particularly in vehicles not designed for such blends.

The Karnataka government has sought action against companies found supplying petrol beyond the prescribed limit and called for greater transparency in the disclosure of ethanol content at fuel stations.

The dispute has also brought the Centre's ethanol-blending programme under renewed scrutiny, with questions over fuel quality, testing procedures and consumer protection.