Arvind Kejriwal, the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has accused the Indian central government of forcing the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) to withdraw a report on ethanol. On August 6, 2026, Kejriwal claimed that this action was motivated by governmental pressure allegedly coming from the United States. The AAP leader made these assertions via a post on social media platform X, labelling the government’s actions as typical of Prime Minister Modi and referred to it as “gundagardi,” implying bullying or coercion.

Kejriwal further argued that the government has little regard for scientific knowledge, engineering, or research, accusing Modi of prioritising hidden agendas over the public health and welfare. He alleged that the pressure from former US President Trump has led to an insistence on purchasing ethanol from the United States, suggesting that this has overshadowed concerns supported by scientific evidence in India.

Response from BJP Leader and SIAM’s Clarification

The allegations made by Kejriwal drew a quick response from Amit Malviya, a leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Malviya highlighted a clarification from SIAM on the matter, asserting that Kejriwal’s assertions had been disproven. He accused the AAP leader of misrepresenting SIAM’s internal communications, which allegedly were taken out of context to foster a misleading narrative surrounding the quality of fuel and the E20 petrol variant. This claim was made in a post on X.

In this clarification, SIAM contended that selective excerpts from its communication had been misused to create unnecessary panic regarding fuel quality associated with E20. The vehicle manufacturers’ organisation reaffirmed its commitment to India’s ethanol blending programme, citing benefits such as strengthening energy security, reducing reliance on oil imports, and providing support to farmers.

On August 5, 2026, SIAM became aware of various media reports citing specific aspects of its communication, particularly focusing on chloride and sulphur content in fuels. In light of these reports, SIAM issued an official statement aiming to clarify the context of its commentary for the benefit of the public and relevant stakeholders.

SIAM’s Official Statement and Industry Support

According to SIAM’s press release, fuel quality assessments are conducted under a rigorous regulatory framework and include more than 150 evaluation criteria, managed by oil marketing companies (OMCs). The organisation stated that the communication which sparked controversy was merely part of ongoing technical discussions among various industry stakeholders, such as auto manufacturers and testing entities.

The press release also indicated that specific data referenced in SIAM’s communication required further validation across multiple regions, along with consultations with member manufacturers. Furthermore, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has implemented precautionary guidelines concerning chloride and sulphur levels in ethanol-blended petrol.

SIAM reassured the public that the automobile industry has consistently supported the Indian government’s initiatives on E20, which are deemed essential for enhancing energy security. It concluded by stating that the concerns raised in media reports had been addressed over many years through communication between the automotive sector and oil marketing companies, thus asserting that there is no immediate cause for alarm regarding the matters discussed.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share