BENGALURU: The political dispute over ethanol blending in petrol has intensified, with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi accusing the Congress of politicising the issue to please Rahul Gandhi, while Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad has demanded greater transparency and independent testing of fuel.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Joshi alleged that the Congress was making unsubstantiated claims about ethanol-blended petrol despite the Centre having already issued explanations. He accused the opposition party of using the controversy to remain politically relevant after failing to gain public support on issues such as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
Joshi also launched a personal attack on the Congress leadership, alleging that the party was raising the issue primarily to win Gandhi's approval.
Defending the Centre's ethanol blending programme, the Union Minister said the policy was introduced with two major objectives: supporting farmers and reducing India's dependence on imported crude oil.
He pointed out that petrol's base price was around Rs 53, while maize-derived ethanol cost between Rs 57 and Rs 71. Despite the higher cost of ethanol, he maintained that the programme was being pursued for its wider benefits to agriculture and national energy security.
Joshi further questioned the Karnataka government's approach to fuel testing, insisting that petrol and diesel samples must be examined using specialised equipment at officially recognised laboratories.
Drawing a comparison with medical testing, he said basic blood sugar tests could be conducted in ordinary laboratories, whereas detecting cancer markers required advanced technology. Fuel quality assessments, he argued, similarly demanded specialised facilities.
He said the requirement for testing fuel samples at designated laboratories was established in 2005 under the Petroleum and Diesel Order during the previous UPA government's tenure. According to Joshi, the Congress should follow the prescribed procedure instead of questioning the Centre's findings.
The Union Minister urged the Karnataka government to examine the reports already provided by the Centre and disclose the outstanding details.
He also proposed a joint meeting involving officials from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) and representatives of the state government. Joshi suggested that Karnataka Minister Rizwan Arshad could preside over the discussion and oversee the proceedings.
However, Arshad rejected Joshi's intervention, pointing out that the Union Minister does not head the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, which is responsible for the matter. He accused Joshi of responding on behalf of Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at Joshi, Arshad suggested that he could assume the petroleum portfolio following Puri's resignation.
Clarifying the state's position, Arshad said Karnataka was not opposed to ethanol blending, acknowledging its potential benefits for farmers and the sugar industry. However, he insisted that consumers should not be left without answers about the actual composition of the fuel being sold.
He questioned the practice of marketing petrol containing between 26 and 31 per cent ethanol as E20, arguing that consumers had a right to know precisely what they were purchasing.
Arshad also challenged the reliability of the Centre's testing figures. Referring to 893 samples reportedly found compliant across the country, including 56 from Karnataka, he alleged that the samples had been examined and certified by the OMCs' own laboratories.
He questioned whether oil companies could independently establish their compliance when they were also responsible for testing their own products.
The Karnataka minister further claimed that none of the reports issued by OMC laboratories revealed the actual ethanol concentration when the state initially submitted 63 samples for examination.
Calling for a credible verification mechanism, Arshad said disagreements over the findings should be resolved through independent testing rather than political statements or allegations.
He demanded the establishment of an impartial fuel-testing system, public disclosure of ethanol percentages at petrol stations and the availability of different fuel options, including E10, E20 and petrol without ethanol blending.
Arshad maintained that the controversy was fundamentally about consumer rights and accountability, not a confrontation between farmers and ordinary citizens.
He also criticised Joshi for resorting to personal remarks, arguing that political attacks could not replace scientific evidence or provide answers to questions raised by the public.
(With inputs from PTI)