AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, accused the central government of directing six automobile companies to publicly claim that E20 petrol causes no engine damage and can be used safely in non-E20-certified vehicles — allegations he said are contradicted by the companies' own owner manuals.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, Kejriwal alleged that the Union government summoned representatives of six auto companies and asked them to state at a press conference that E20 fuel poses no harm and is compatible with vehicles not originally rated for higher ethanol blends. He named three firms — Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Hero MotoCorp — as having complied with that request and, in his words, 'desh se jhooth bola' (lied to the country).

Kejriwal stated he is in possession of the owner manuals of these three companies, which he claims directly contradict the public statements made at that press conference. The post was accompanied by a video, which he indicated contains further evidence.

Policy Backdrop

The controversy centres on India's Ethanol Blended Petrol Programme, a long-running central government scheme aimed at reducing crude oil import dependence and creating a stable market for sugarcane farmers. In 2021, the government released a roadmap targeting 20 per cent ethanol blending — known as E20 — in petrol by 2025, an acceleration of earlier timelines. India had already achieved 10 per cent average blending nationwide by 2022, ahead of schedule.

The push to E20, however, has consistently raised technical concerns. Manufacturer owner manuals have historically specified fuel-grade restrictions, warning that engines not designed for higher ethanol concentrations may face material corrosion, seal degradation, or mileage loss. The gap between policy messaging on universal usability and manufacturer-specified limits has been a persistent tension in the programme's rollout.

Stakeholders and Impact

Maruti Suzuki is India's largest carmaker, with millions of petrol-powered vehicles on the road. Hero MotoCorp is the country's largest two-wheeler manufacturer, meaning the compatibility question directly affects a vast share of India's vehicle-owning population, particularly middle- and lower-income households. Toyota Kirloskar Motor serves both passenger and commercial segments.

If Kejriwal's claim holds — that owner manuals explicitly warn against using E20 in non-certified vehicles — then consumers who fill up at E20 pumps in good faith on the basis of those alleged press conference statements could face warranty voidance or engine damage. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which oversees fuel quality standards and the blending programme, has not publicly responded to the allegations as of the time of posting.

What's Next

The immediate question is whether the three named companies — Maruti Suzuki, Toyota, and Hero MotoCorp — will respond to Kejriwal's claim and clarify the technical position in their owner manuals relative to any statements made at the press conference in question. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the petroleum ministry are also likely to face pressure for a formal technical clarification.

Should the owner manual evidence Kejriwal references enter the public domain, it could force a policy reckoning over how E20 compatibility is communicated to consumers, potentially slowing the retail rollout of E20-blended fuel at pumps nationwide and reopening the debate over the pace of the blending target.