The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that 11 of 14 fuel samples tested from seven districts contained more than 20 per cent ethanol, exceeding the level associated with the government’s E20 programme. He demanded an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and action against companies found breaching fuel specifications.
“E20 turned into 420 – stealing petrol from the public’s cars!” Gandhi wrote on X, invoking the number associated with cheating under the former penal code. His accusation followed Karnataka’s disclosure of test results that have triggered a dispute over sampling procedures, laboratory methods and the composition of petrol sold at filling stations.
Gandhi cited ethanol concentrations of 31.2 per cent in a sample associated with Indian Oil Corporation and 30.5 per cent in one associated with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. He also named Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Nayara Energy and Shell among suppliers whose samples, he alleged, exceeded the specified proportion.
The allegations remain contested. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum issued a joint rebuttal, maintaining that their E20 petrol complies with Bureau of Indian Standards requirements. They challenged the state’s testing process and said the evidence supplied was insufficient to validate its conclusions.
The companies said tests on 56 Karnataka samples showed ethanol content between 19 and 20 per cent. They sought full laboratory documentation, information identifying the retail outlets and access to retained samples so that testing could be repeated jointly under agreed procedures.
The disagreement leaves two competing sets of findings before consumers, without a publicly established reconciliation of the measurements. A laboratory result showing excessive blending would raise questions about compliance, but the disputed Karnataka figures do not by themselves establish that petrol across the country contains more ethanol than permitted.
Karnataka Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Rizwan Arshad said the state had commissioned independent examination after laboratories associated with fuel companies failed to provide the ethanol percentages sought by officials. He identified the Shriram Research Institute, an accredited testing facility, as the laboratory involved in the state’s investigation.
The broader Karnataka exercise involved 63 samples collected across seven districts. Gandhi highlighted a subset of 14 results in his intervention, rather than the entire exercise. The districts covered Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Ramanagara, Tumakuru and the Mangaluru area.
Arshad has argued that consumers deserve accurate information about what they purchase and that excess ethanol could affect vehicles, including models designed for E20 fuel. He has called for accountability if violations are established and raised the question of compensation for motorists facing demonstrable losses.
Gandhi similarly questioned whether motorists were paying petrol prices while receiving fuel with a greater ethanol share than advertised. He alleged that excessive blending could reduce mileage, affect vehicle performance and increase maintenance expenditure, particularly where vehicle components were not designed for higher concentrations.
He asked why filling stations did not clearly display ethanol percentages and accused fuel companies’ own laboratories of failing to disclose the information. He challenged Modi to explain the actual blending levels and said the issue could be included in his proposed public debate with the prime minister.
The Centre has defended ethanol blending as a means of reducing crude oil imports and supporting domestic agricultural production. Its E20 initiative targets a blend of approximately one fifth ethanol, although the precise compliance question depends on applicable fuel specifications and validated testing methods.
The oil companies said their petrol meets the relevant national standard and objected to tests conducted without their representatives or corresponding retention samples. They maintained that laboratory certificates cited by Karnataka lacked details needed to assess how ethanol content was determined.
The dispute also concerns how the measurements should be interpreted. Karnataka officials have presented their results as evidence of fuel sold above the stated blending level, while the suppliers insist that properly collected and tested samples demonstrate compliance. Neither side has announced an agreed independent retest resolving the contradictory figures publicly available so far.
Arshad said on Saturday that he would provide a detailed response to the companies’ objections on Monday. The disagreement has therefore moved beyond the initial measurements to the documentation and procedures required for independently checking them.
