New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, on Saturday demanded that the NDA government at the Centre provide consumers with the option to choose between pure petrol and E20 fuel at petrol pumps and announced a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on August 4 to submit petitions signed by citizens.
Addressing the National Townhall Against E20, Kejriwal said, “A few days ago, I appealed to people to sign a petition addressed to the Prime Minister. More than 2 lakh people have signed the petition online. I have taken printouts of all those signatures. On Tuesday, the 4th, at 12 noon, I will personally take those petitions and march towards the Prime Minister’s residence to submit them. Not everyone needs to come. I will take 100 people with me who are not afraid of lathis and not afraid of going to jail. Whoever wants to join should write to me and tag me. We will take 100 people along, march towards the Prime Minister’s residence, and then see what happens after that.”
Reacting to his proposed protest march towards PM Modi’s residence on August 4 to submit a citizens’ petition seeking changes to the Centre’s E20 fuel policy, Kejriwal said, “As far as they (Congress leaders) were allowed to go, I hope we will also be allowed to go that far. More than 2 lakh people have signed the petition.”
Speaking about the turnout at the event, Kejriwal said, “I can see that the entire hall is packed. As many people are sitting, an equal number of people are standing, and screens have also been placed outside. In front of those screens, as many people are present outside as there are inside. More than 4 lakh people are watching this programme online today.”
Claiming that the government was closely monitoring the event, he said, “I have full confidence that today the government is also watching this programme. Whenever their ministers come, they say E20 is safe. E20 has no problem. Those who raise their voice against E20 are anti-national. I want to tell them, today we kept so many testimonies in front of you. Today we kept so many proofs.”
He further said, “With this we get to know that how people are worried with this issues. Today, people have raised three demands, there should be choice at petrol pumps for people. Whosoever wants E20 can have it, or if other wants to have pure petrol, they can have it. Second demand, they said that the cost of E20 should be less than pure petrol, third, when the crude oil price has decreased, now the petrol price should be less than Rs 84.”
–IANS
jk/rad
