Rahul Gandhi Questions Centre Over Alleged Excess Ethanol in Petrol

Rahul Gandhi alleged excess ethanol content in petrol sold in Karnataka, calling it a scam. Oil marketing companies denied the accusations, stating their fuel complies with Bureau of Indian Standards specifications and valid testing procedures.

Rahul Gandhi Questions Centre on Ethanol Content

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday questioned the Centre over alleged excess ethanol content in petrol sold across Karnataka, asking when action would be taken against oil companies supplying fuel beyond the prescribed 20 per cent limit. In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that laboratory tests of petrol samples collected by the Karnataka government from seven districts showed ethanol content exceeding the prescribed limit in several samples. "E20 turns into '420' (a scam) — Petrol theft from the public's vehicles! The Modi government claims that petrol contains 20% ethanol. The Karnataka government collected petrol samples from 7 districts and had them tested at an accredited laboratory," he said.

Referring to the test findings, Rahul Gandhi said 11 out of 14 samples contained more than 20 per cent ethanol, with IOCL samples recording 31.2 per cent and HPCL samples recording 30.5 per cent. He further alleged that the ethanol content exceeded the prescribed limit in samples from both public and private oil companies, including Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Nayara and Shell. "Furthermore, the companies' own internal labs did not even report the ethanol content," he wrote.

Raising concerns over the impact on consumers, the Congress leader alleged that higher ethanol content could lead to reduced mileage and increased vehicle maintenance costs. "In short: you are paying for expensive petrol, but your tank is being filled with ethanol. Who suffers the loss? You do...Your vehicle is not designed to handle such high levels of ethanol—this leads to reduced mileage and frequent trips to the mechanic. Your prized vehicle is being ruined," he said.

He also questioned the absence of information at fuel stations regarding the actual ethanol content in petrol, alleging that consumers were not being given a choice. "Moreover, there is no mention at the fuel pumps regarding what is actually being put into your tank—you have no choice in the matter," he said.

Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, Rahul Gandhi sought clarification on the actual ethanol content in petrol supplied across the country and demanded action against companies allegedly exceeding the prescribed limit. "Modi ji, tell us—what exactly is being poured into the nation's fuel tanks? How much ethanol is truly in the petrol? When will action be taken against the companies that are adulterating fuel beyond the 20% limit?" he said. He also reiterated his challenge for a debate with the Prime Minister, saying the issue should be included among the subjects for discussion. "And the challenge for a debate still stands. Let’s add this issue to the list: who is actually benefiting from your policies?" Rahul Gandhi added.

OMCs Refute Claims of Adulteration

His remarks come after Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), the three public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs), on Friday said they had taken note of a press release issued by the Department of Food, Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Legal Metrology, Government of Karnataka.

The Karnataka department had claimed that petrol sold at certain retail outlets in the state contained between 26 per cent and 31 per cent ethanol. However, the three OMCs rejected the reported findings, stating that the claims were not supported by testing conducted in accordance with the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. "E20 petrol supplied by the three OMCs across the country, including Karnataka, conforms to IS 17021, the Bureau of Indian Standards specification for ethanol-blended motor gasoline," the companies said in an official statement.

The OMCs also raised concerns regarding the sampling procedure and methodology adopted for the October 2026 exercise. Citing the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply, Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 2005, issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, read with the Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) 2024, the companies said the regulations prescribe a defined procedure for sampling, retention, testing and communication of results. According to the prescribed procedure, six one-litre samples are required to be drawn. Two samples must be handed over to the dealer against acknowledgement, two retained by the oil company or the department concerned, and the remaining two sent to a laboratory specified under Schedule III of the Control Order or notified in the Official Gazette.

The companies further stated that sample labels are required to be jointly signed and test results communicated to the dealer and the oil company within the prescribed timeframe. The three OMCs have requested the Karnataka government to share the complete sampling documentation, outlet-wise laboratory reports and details of the testing methodology adopted for the reported findings. They have also sought access to the counterpart samples for independent testing at an authorised laboratory using the prescribed referee method, in the presence of representatives of the State Government and the OMCs. The companies maintained that E20 petrol supplied by them conforms to the applicable BIS specifications and sought independent testing to address the concerns raised over the reported ethanol levels.

Call for Accountability

Launching a sharp attack on the Central government over fuel quality standards, Karnataka Minister G Parameshwara questioned "who is protecting consumers" after independent tests in the state allegedly revealed ethanol content in petrol reaching levels as high as 31.2 per cent—significantly higher than the mandated E20 blend. In a post on X, the Karnataka minister raised serious concerns over vehicle safety, fuel efficiency, and consumer rights, demanding an immediate probe into the matter. He also sought an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

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