Government ignoring warnings & E20 spiked sugar prices: Randeep Singh Surjewala

New Delhi: The Congress flagged the rise in sugar prices and accused the Centre of ignoring warnings of low sugar stocks, while diverting sugarcane products for E20 fuel production. Pointing out that sugar price has shot up to ₹75 per kg, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Thursday,

"The BJP leaders are saying Modiji has made sugar expensive to drive away diabetes and to add it to petrol. The result is that cars are stuck in garages and people's pockets are emptying out."

Surjewala further said that in 2025-26, the opening sugar stock was 5 million tonnes, less than the 3 million tonnes recorded last year, and claimed that by the end of April, the government knew there was going to be a shortage of sugar but kept its eyes shut. He alleged that black marketeers were being benefited and the public "is looted of ₹36,000 crore".


Blaming the E20 policy, he said, "The Modi government used 32% of the sugarcane complex - meaning sugar, B molasses or C molasses - in the production of adulterated E20 oil between November 2025 and July 2026. The result was that the sugar available in the market for the public ended up going into vehicles."