'Illiterate govt': Kejriwal takes aim at Centre over E20 fuel policy, sugar prices

New Delhi: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has lashed out at the Centre's ethanol policy, linking the increased usage of sugarcane for ethanol production to the recent spike in sugar prices. He accused the government of creating a supply problem by promoting ethanol production in an attempt to reduce foreign exchange spending on crude oil imports.

Kejriwal stated, "To save the foreign exchange spent on oil imports, they started making ethanol from sugarcane. As a result, there has been a shortage of sugar. Now, they will import sugar using that foreign exchange."

The AAP leader also criticized the government's handling of the issue, calling it "entirely run by illiterates." He questioned the government's ability to manage the situation, stating, "No one knows what will happen if they do something."

The controversy has intensified as domestic sugar prices have risen sharply and reports suggest the government is considering measures, such as limited imports and tighter stockholding limits, to improve sugar supplies ahead of the festival season. Kejriwal has also been leading the party's campaign against E20 petrol, alleging that the government is attempting to silence criticism of the ethanol-blended fuel policy.

He claimed that social media content critical of E20 is being removed and questioned how public concerns could be suppressed. Kejriwal questioned the suppression of 1.40 crore people's voices.

In a light-hearted jab at the government, Kejriwal used a joke about police forces from the US, Russia, and India searching for a lion to criticize their handling of the E20 debate. He sarcastically asked, "How will you suppress 1.40 crore people?" AAP has called for greater transparency and disclosure of fuel quality and vehicle compatibility testing, demanding that consumers should have a choice of conventional petrol at fuel stations.