Days after a social media campaign forced India’s education minister to resign, a new group is going after Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari — and the government’s fuel policy.
What is the E20 Janta Party?
The E20 Janta Party is an online citizens’ campaign, not a registered political party. It wants fuel stations to sell 100 percent petrol again, alongside the ethanol-blended fuel the government has pushed nationwide.
“We are not asking for free fuel. We are not asking for subsidies. We are asking for one basic consumer right: give Indians the choice to buy 100% petrol,” the group wrote on X on July 26.
The campaign is modeling itself on the Cockroach Janta Party, whose 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar pressured education minister Dharmendra Pradhan into resigning over the NEET paper leak. That protest ended last weekend.
Who is founder of it?
No one has stepped forward as the group’s founder. The E20 Janta Party has repeatedly declined to name who runs it or where it operates from.
“Please don’t get distracted by rumors about who is behind this movement or where it is being operated from. Such speculation only takes attention away from the real issue,” the group posted on X.
The campaign’s growth has been fast. Its X account crossed 30,000 followers within hours of launching. Its Instagram page passed 230,000 followers over the same period.
What are the E20 Janta Party’s demands?
The group says it does not oppose ethanol blending itself. It wants choice at the pump.
“Just make E0 petrol available at petrol stations and let people choose voluntarily between E0, E20 or E85,” the group wrote. “If someone wants E0 petrol for his non-compliant car, let him have it! Forced feeding should stop ASAP.”
Beyond fuel choice, the group wants clear pump labeling, no price gap between blended and unblended fuel, public release of government data on ethanol’s costs and benefits, and independent studies on how the blend affects mileage and engines.
It is also demanding Gadkari’s resignation outright, posting “NITIN GADKARI MUST RESIGN” repeatedly on X.
Gadkari has not resigned. He has instead approached the Bombay High Court, seeking action against what he calls defamatory posts and AI-generated deepfake videos tied to the campaign. The court has allowed him to pursue legal remedies against those responsible, according to reports.
The government has said it has not received a large volume of verifiable complaints from vehicle manufacturers or consumer groups about mileage loss or fuel-tank corrosion linked to E20.
The frustration isn’t confined to social media. Vehicle owners have reported unusual wear in engines, fuel tanks and fuel lines since the ethanol rollout, which arrived five years ahead of schedule. Many automakers had not yet adapted their engines for E20 when the policy took effect, leaving owners of older, lower-blend-rated vehicles to absorb the difference in performance and repair costs. The rollout has already faced severe backlash in the form of RTI applications and Supreme Court petitions.
Calls for protest
The gap between policy and pump is now moving offline. The Delhi Taxi and Tourist Transporters and Tour Operators Association has announced a march on Parliament for August 4 against E20 petrol.
Whether the E20 Janta Party matches the impact of the campaign that came before it is still an open question. But its rapid rise, just days after a minister’s resignation, suggests India’s leaderless, hashtag-driven protest model has found a second target — and its next test.
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