Congress workers protest against ethanol-blended fuel outside Gadkari's Nagpur home; several detained

Nagpur: Youth Congress workers held a protest in Nagpur on Monday on the issue of E20 fuel and attempted to march to the residence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in order to 'gherao' it, but were stopped by the police, resulting in several participants being detained.

The 'morcha' was held from Chitnivis Park Square in Mahal here till Gadkari's private residence in the same area, with Youth Congress workers shouting slogans about the unviability of E20 fuel.

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There was heavy deployment of police personnel near the Union minister's house along with barricades on the route, though protesters tried to climb over them to proceed.

Several Congress workers were detained, police officials said.

The Congress has been targeting Gadkari on the issue of E20 fuel claiming that his reply in Parliament on July 29 on the nationwide rollout of E20 petrol raises more questions than it answers.

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Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday said Gadkari claims E20 has been rolled out after years of scientific testing and that there is no evidence of widespread vehicle damage.

"For months now, consumers and mechanics across the country have been reporting: reduced mileage; engine performance issues; concerns over the long-term impact of E20 fuel on their vehicles; engine compatibility, cold-start problems, and accelerated wear and tear in pre-2023 vehicles; increasing instances of clogged injectors, corroded fuel lines and cracked rubber components in older vehicles," Ramesh said on X.