Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his criticism of the Centre over the E20 petrol issue, alleging that consumers could be paying for petrol while receiving fuel containing more ethanol than the prescribed 20 per cent level.

In a post on X on Saturday, Mr Gandhi referred to the issue as “petrol chori” and cited test results from petrol samples collected by the Karnataka government.

He said the government maintains that petrol contains 20 per cent ethanol, but alleged that testing of samples from seven Karnataka districts showed higher levels in several cases. 

Rahul Gandhi cites Karnataka petrol test results

According to the figures cited by Mr Gandhi, 11 of 14 samples tested contained more than 20 per cent ethanol. He highlighted results of 31.2 per cent for an IOCL sample and 30.5 per cent for an HPCL sample.

He also named IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, Nayara and Shell while alleging that samples from both government-owned and private companies exceeded the 20 per cent level. These are allegations based on the tests cited by Gandhi and the Karnataka government, rather than an independently established finding covering all petrol sold by these companies. 

The samples were reportedly collected from areas including Bengaluru, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, Bengaluru Rural, Ramanagara, Mangaluru and Tumakuru and tested at the Shriram Research Institute in Bengaluru. 

What Rahul Gandhi said about ‘petrol chori’

Mr Gandhi used the phrase “E20 turned into 420” in his post, linking the reference to Section 420 of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, which dealt with cheating.

He questioned the Centre over the actual ethanol content of petrol and asked when action would be taken against companies that, according to the allegations, supplied fuel containing more than 20 per cent ethanol.

He also argued that excessive ethanol blending could affect vehicle performance, including mileage and maintenance costs, and questioned why fuel stations do not disclose the actual ethanol content of the petrol being sold. 

Oil companies dispute Karnataka findings

The three state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation — have disputed the Karnataka government’s findings.

The companies said the reported results were not supported by testing carried out according to the prescribed statutory and technical procedures. They maintained that E20 petrol supplied through their retail networks conforms to the Bureau of Indian Standards’ IS 17021 specifications, which prescribe an ethanol range of 19-21 per cent.

The companies have also questioned aspects of the sampling and testing process and sought access to the relevant samples and documentation for independent testing.

Rahul Gandhi reiterates debate challenge

Mr Gandhi also reiterated his challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open debate, saying the ethanol-blending issue could be included along with the other issues he has been raising.

His latest remarks come amid a political exchange over the Karnataka government’s allegations concerning ethanol levels in petrol and the oil companies’ rejection of those findings.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar was discharged from Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday after undergoing treatment for a chest and respiratory infection. The 85-year-old leader returned to his residence following a three-day stay at the hospital.

Pawar had been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital earlier this week after being discharged from Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic. He was initially admitted to the Pune facility on November 2 and discharged on November 4, following which he was shifted to Mumbai for further medical evaluation and treatment.

His hospitalisation had drawn visits from several political leaders and prominent personalities, including Congress leaders Sushilkumar Shinde and Balasaheb Thorat, NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil, industrialist Gautam Adani and NCP leader Praful Patel.

Sharad Pawar’s hospitalisation and discharge

Pawar was receiving treatment for a chest and respiratory infection during his stay at Breach Candy Hospital. His discharge on Saturday followed the improvement in his health.

The veteran politician had initially complained of persistent cough and chest discomfort before being admitted to Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune. He was subsequently shifted to Mumbai for additional medical evaluation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken to Pawar over the phone to enquire about his health and advised him to take adequate rest.

NCP merger speculation gains momentum

Pawar’s discharge comes at a time when political discussions surrounding a possible merger between the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have gained attention.

The political buzz intensified following a meeting between senior NCP leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The absence of NCP chief Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar from the meeting also drew attention amid reports of internal differences within the party.

NCP leader Praful Patel had also visited Sharad Pawar at Breach Candy Hospital. However, Patel had rejected speculation that their meeting involved political discussions, saying that he regularly met Pawar and Supriya Sule because of their family ties.

The possibility of bringing the two NCP factions together has therefore remained a subject of political discussion, although no confirmed merger announcement has been made.

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has alleged that BJP workers attacked his residence in Kolkata around 2 am on Saturday following a confrontation between workers of the two parties. The incident took place outside his Kalighat home during celebrations linked to his birthday.

Banerjee accused the BJP workers of throwing stones and bricks at his supporters and alleged that some of them were carrying revolvers. He also claimed that several TMC workers were injured in the confrontation.

According to the TMC leader, one of his colleagues, Tapas, suffered a serious injury near his thumb and would require plastic surgery. He also said another person suffered a fracture below the eye. These injury claims were made by Banerjee while speaking to the media.

Abhishek Banerjee calls it seventh attempt on his life

Banerjee said the incident was not an isolated one and claimed it was the seventh attempt on his life in the last six months.

In a post on X, he alleged that BJP workers had conducted reconnaissance around his residence before the alleged attack. He also accused the police and judiciary of failing to take action.

Banerjee referred to an earlier June 19 incident in Sonarpur, claiming that armed individuals had attempted to attack him while he was returning from Delhi. He said his workers had caught them and that a complaint was filed. 

The allegations about the latest incident followed Banerjee’s earlier claim that unidentified individuals had been monitoring his office and residence for two days. He said they identified themselves as police personnel when confronted and sought an inquiry into the alleged surveillance.

BJP rejects allegation, calls incident ‘drama’

The BJP rejected Banerjee’s allegations. Bengal BJP minister Dilip Ghosh described the incident as a “drama” and questioned the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

Ghosh said there was no reason to believe that anyone was attempting to kill Banerjee and accused the TMC leader of using emotional rhetoric to mislead people.

The BJP’s response came after the late-night confrontation between supporters of the two parties outside Banerjee’s residence. The episode began after a shouting match around 2 am following slogans directed at Banerjee, according to the report.

Banerjee had earlier raised surveillance concerns

A day before the alleged attack, Banerjee had claimed that unidentified people were conducting surveillance of his office and residence.

He questioned why the state police would allegedly monitor the premises of an elected MP and asked who had authorised such surveillance. He said he was bringing the matter to the attention of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Kolkata Police, the Union Home Ministry and West Bengal Police.

The latest clash has intensified the political confrontation between the TMC and BJP in West Bengal, with Banerjee alleging a targeted attack and the BJP dismissing his claims.