Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leaders stopped by Delhi Police during march to PM Modi's residence over E20 petrol

Aam Aadmi Party AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and several senior party leaders were stopped by the Delhi Police on Tuesday while attempting to march towards the Prime Ministers residence to submit more than 230 lakh petitions opposing the promotion of E20 petrolAfter being prevented from proceeding further Kejriwal former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia AAP leader Jasmine Shah and other party leaders staged a sitin protest on Firoz Shah RoadThe AAP said it had collected over 230 lakh signatures from people across the country as part of its campaign against E20 petrol alleging that the ethanolblended fuel has adversely affected vehicle ownersAAP seeks option of pure petrol at fuel stationsAddressing party workers and supporters before the march began Kejriwal said the petitions reflected concerns raised by vehicle owners and urged the central government to reconsider its policy on ethanolblended fuelWe are going to the Prime Ministers residence with over 230 lakh petitions signed by people from across the country We want the government to listen to the concerns of crores of vehicle owners who are facing problems because of E20 petrol he saidThe AAP has been campaigning against the rollout of E20 petrol arguing that consumers should have the freedom to choose between ethanolblended fuel and conventional petrolKejriwal said the party was not demanding the withdrawal of E20 petrol but wanted both fuel options to be made available at petrol pumps so that consumers could decide which one to purchaseSecurity tightened as march haltedPolice prevented the protesters from moving beyond Firoz Shah Road citing security arrangements in the areaAccording to police the march was not allowed to proceed towards the Prime Ministers residence and security personnel were deployed to maintain law and orderNo one will be allowed ahead of 5 Firoz Shah Road We have deployed adequate security including Delhi Police and paramilitary forces to maintain law and order a police official saidFollowing the police action AAP leaders and supporters remained at the protest site for some time raising slogans against the governments fuel policyCampaign against E20 petrol gathers momentumThe protest comes days after the AAP organised an Ethanol Town Hall and launched a nationwide signature campaign opposing the use of E20 petrolAccording to the party the campaign was aimed at gathering public feedback from vehicle owners who claim to have experienced problems after using ethanolblended fuelEarlier Kejriwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an appointment to discuss the issue and present the concerns raised during the campaignKejriwal questions governments fuel policyReiterating the partys stand Kejriwal urged the government to provide consumers with a choice between pure petrol and E20 fuel and argued that ethanolblended petrol should be priced lower if its use is being encouragedPeople are asking why the government is forcing E20 petrol despite complaints from vehicle owners We only want people to have the choice of buying pure petrol and E20 and if E20 is being promoted it should be sold at a lower price he saidThe Centre has promoted E20 petrol as part of its broader ethanol blending programme aimed at reducing dependence on imported crude oil and increasing the use of cleaner fuels However concerns raised by sections of vehicle owners and opposition parties over its impact on vehicles continue to remain a subject of political debateWith inputs from PTI