Times News NetworkMargao: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday that only a “losing streak” at the hustings would bring the “extremely arrogant” BJP to its senses and force it to withdraw the “forced” rollout of E20 petrol, as he appealed to Goans to unite and defeat BJP in the upcoming polls.Addressing a town hall in Panaji against the mandatory E20 blend, Kejriwal said Goa was among the states worst hit by the policy, with 87% of families owning a two-wheeler and 47% a four-wheeler—both figures significantly higher than the national average.The town hall saw several residents narrate their experiences with the ethanol-blended fuel. A motorcycle pilot said his bike gave poor mileage and stalled frequently, while a Swiggy delivery person said he was forced to work 15-18 hours a day as a large share of his earnings went towards fuel costs due to reduced mileage. A mechanical engineer running a superbike workshop in Benaulim said he had noticed throttle body problems and white powder deposits caused by the separation of ethanol and petrol in vehicles running on E20.Kejriwal said that automobile manufacturers were being “threatened with ED and CBI raids” by Union govt to prevent them from speaking out against the fuel blend.He further claimed that the diversion of sugarcane towards ethanol production had triggered a domestic sugar shortage, pushing up prices by around Rs 30 per kg within a month even as India’s dependence on sugar imports rose.Calling BJP “the most anpadh (uneducated) govt the country has seen”, Kejriwal alleged that the party had claimed the ethanol blending programme would save forex, but the country was now importing sugar as well. He further alleged that PM Narendra Modi was importing ethanol from the US under pressure from president Donald Trump.“Govt will not stop unless people raise their voice against E20 unitedly. The arrogance of BJP needs to be brought down. Goans need to make BJP lose and demand a rollback of E20,” he said.
