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Karnataka flags excess ethanol in E20 petrol, Kerala orders fuel checks
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00:00Hello and welcome. Good evening. You're watching Super 6 here on India Today.
00:03I'm Akshita Nanda Gopal. This Monday evening, we've got lots lined up for you.
00:06So let's get right to it and tell you what have we got for you in this edition of Super
00:116.
00:11This evening, we're going to be focusing on a concerning story coming in from Karnataka
00:16about the fuel that you're filling in your vehicle.
00:21There's been all of this talk about ethanol.
00:24The Karnataka government says they've carried out a series of exposé
00:27that shows that E20 fuel actually has 31% ethanol.
00:32It's led to a big showdown as after Karnataka, now the Congress government in Kerala too has said
00:36that they will conduct a similar survey and try to figure out whether E20 is actually E20.
00:43Minister Rizwan Ashut will be joining us in just a few moments from now
00:47to describe in detail out for us what the Karnataka government found.
00:50Also coming up on the show this evening at 6.30,
00:53we're going to be talking about a story that's rocked the world.
00:57NVIDIA CEO coming out and confirming that yes, he's been in an affair with a Chinese woman
01:04suspected to be a spy.
01:06Was he honey trapped?
01:07Was this in fact an attempt to snoop on NVIDIA?
01:11We're going to be getting you all of those details.
01:14I'm Akshita Nandakopal, here are the headlines.
01:20Delhi wakes up to toxic air after Diwali.
01:23AQI discrepancy also reported in Delhi NCR.
01:27India Today reality check on Diwali night reveals cracker rule flouted.
01:31Political blame game erupts.
01:40Stubble burning cases rage on in Punjab.
01:42Record 1,152 farm fires on a single day in Punjab.
01:47Punjab DGP, however, claims Parali cases have reduced.
01:51Delhi government says this is intentional.
02:00Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari defends Rai Ganja encounter of suspected rape and murder.
02:05Accuses criminals will get bullets, not Rasukullahs, if they attack cops.
02:16Congress Chief Malikarjung Karge's Diwali greeting triggers a political storm.
02:20Describes Diwali as Eid of happiness.
02:23BJP accuses Congress of anti-Sanatham politics and appeasement.
02:27AIMIM slams Diwali Eid comparison.
02:44Malayalam superstar Mamuti meets Keralam BJP leader
02:49and faces backlash from leftover photo ops.
02:52Left netizens slam Mamuti saying he's happily posing with a BJP leader.
03:06Elicit affairs scandal rocks NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
03:09Huang admits to an affair with suspected Chinese spy.
03:13NVIDIA says company secrets not compromised,
03:15even as China dismisses these allegations of spying.
03:31Our top story this evening is on the controversy around ethanol blending.
03:36We've seen this, of course, being a topic of conversation for the last many months across the country.
03:42In Karnataka, though, the government says they've conducted an eye-opening expose,
03:47in which they say that E20, what's sold as E20, is actually E31, 31.2% in some cases.
03:56The samples that they've picked up, they say, is what suggests that E20 is actually not E20.
04:02It's a lot more than that.
04:03It's triggered a big storm, including a reaction that's come in from these oil marketing firms
04:08who've refuted all of these allegations.
04:12Joining me on this broadcast today is the Food, Civil, Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister
04:17in the Karnataka government, Mr. Rizwan Ashad.
04:19Mr. Rizwan Ashad, good evening.
04:21Thank you for your time.
04:22I know you've been in the eye of the storm, so to say,
04:25because you revealed these revelations that your government has found.
04:29First of all, so just to set the base for this conversation,
04:32take us through how you conducted these particular tests,
04:36where you collected these samples from, what did you find?
04:43Can you hear me, Mr. Ashad?
04:45I can't hear.
04:48Okay, give us a couple of moments.
04:49We're just going to fix that with Rizwan Ashad and get in what really the Karnataka government
04:54has to say about these allegations.
04:57That E30 level blending is taking place even when the fuel is being supplied as E20.
05:03Oil companies in the centre, according to the Karnataka Congress,
05:06are working together to exploit consumers.
05:09Let's take a look at this report and then we'll bring back Mr. Rizwan Ashad.
05:23Once again.
05:33In fact, all the details that are emerging right now,
05:36there is a big political showdown.
05:38But importantly, what I'd also like to highlight here
05:40is that we're seeing in Keralam to a similar step
05:44that is being taken by the government there,
05:46who said that, look, what's happened in Karnataka is concerning.
05:49We are going to conduct a similar such test across the state of Kerala,
05:54which has already kicked off.
05:55And it'll be interesting to see what really emerges there.
05:57While there's been no reactions from the central government,
06:00the Karnataka BJP has already dismissed all of these findings,
06:04calling it a political conspiracy and nothing more.
06:07But as far as these oil companies are concerned,
06:10they've come out to also question the results of this particular test
06:15that's been conducted by the Karnataka government.
06:18And so we see political back and forth that's playing out
06:21and much more than that as well over ethanol blending
06:24and over the findings of the Karnataka government post their survey.
06:28So is E20 actually E20 or is it E31?
06:32Is it E32?
06:33Well, at this point, the Karnataka government says one thing
06:36and the oil companies say quite an other,
06:39maintaining that E20,
06:40there is absolutely no question of the ethanol levels being higher than that.
06:48As we get you, in fact, those details,
06:50what we're also breaking down for you is ethanol blending
06:53and how it's been in the heart of a controversy for the last many months.
06:58Why?
06:59Because even as we're speaking about this E20 Rao,
07:02there is a proposal by the central government to push that forward.
07:05They've given the nod just last week
07:06for E100 fuel to also become a reality in the country.
07:11Of course, that is based on also vehicles that are compliant.
07:13But the reason that this has also triggered so much concern among consumers
07:17is that there's been a lot of talk about how vehicles
07:20that are not compliant or okay with having ethanol blended fuel in their vehicles
07:25do see some impact of these ethanol blended fuel being added in.
07:31And so consumers are worried about mileage,
07:34are also worried about wear and tear in their cars.
07:37Let me bring in Minister Rizwana Arshadar on this broadcast.
07:43Okay, but before that, here's a detailed report.
07:49Rising fuel costs are already burning a hole in motorist's pockets.
07:54Now, a fresh controversy over ethanol blending has raised further concerns.
08:00The Karnataka government has levelled serious allegations,
08:04claiming that recent tests found higher than permitted ethanol content in petrol.
08:09Immediately, the government should ensure that they go ahead and remove the ethanol mixing in the petrol.
08:17And they claim that there is a huge loss for the people who are using the petrol across the country.
08:24And they say that they will continue the protest until unless the government consider their demand
08:31and ensure that ethanol is not being mixed with the petrol.
08:36The Karnataka government claims that E-20 blending levels improved after its exposure
08:42and assured that it would conduct periodic tests.
08:46We demand from the central government that there should be an independent testing mechanism established.
08:52Now, they have been exposed.
08:54And now, for some time, they will saturate the E-20 blend to what they have declared.
09:00But we need to keep checking randomly.
09:04According to the state's findings, samples collected from 67 locations
09:09showed ethanol content exceeding the prescribed 20% limit in several instances.
09:15Allegedly, going up to even 30%.
09:18We have been exposed to the central government.
09:23We have been exposed to the samples.
09:26We have been exposed to the production.
09:30We have been exposed to the vehicles.
09:35We have been exposed to the machines.
09:38We have been exposed to the petrol.
09:46But public sector oil marketing companies has rejected all claims made by Karnataka government.
09:53The BJP has hit back at the Karnataka government,
09:56questioning its findings and claiming that the state does not have a laboratory to test fuel quality.
10:02He is not doing his proper work, showing central government.
10:07I ask the state government, you have any for petrol and diesel, for investigation.
10:17For anything, you have any lab, there is no lab for you.
10:24There is no lab meant for petrol and diesel.
10:28Following Karnataka, the Keralam government has also ordered fuel quality checks in four districts.
10:34We are at the Indian Oil Corporation petrol pump here in Pirvanakipuram,
10:38where now officials are collecting samples of petrol for ethanol tests.
10:43Now, as you can see in the visuals, officials have collected these samples.
10:47They have separated it into six boxes.
10:50Now, six samples have been collected.
10:52Two, we are learning, will be sent to the lab for testing.
10:55Two will be sent to the office and two will be sent to the dealers for testing.
11:01This is what the officials are telling us.
11:03We are getting a lot of complaints about the vehicles getting damaged,
11:06the engines getting damaged and the mileage coming down.
11:08Many complaints and reports through the media are already there.
11:13Also, the recent inspections in Karnataka was also a major concern to us.
11:17So, we are ruling out all such concerns.
11:21We are trying for this inspection.
11:23We are trying to rule out that there are no discrepancies in the petrols that are sold in the state
11:29of Kerala.
11:29The controversy has now raised a larger question.
11:33Is the petrol you are buying actually E20 or a higher blend?
11:38Bureau Report, India Today.
11:43So, it's over these findings of the Karnataka government that there's a huge controversy.
11:47You heard a couple of reactions.
11:49Their oil marketing companies, for starters, have completely rejected all of these allegations.
11:54They have said that, look, this was random testing done, maybe in some pumps,
11:58but no question of this being the situation across Karnataka.
12:01And they've said that the kind of testing that was conducted, we don't buy the results.
12:06The BGP, the Karnataka BGP, mind you, because the central government hasn't really responded to any of this.
12:11But the Karnataka BGP has come out to very clearly say that none of the testing centers can really be
12:19trusted.
12:19And that's why they don't buy any of these results.
12:22It's led to a huge showdown in Karnataka.
12:25But more than that, concern also among consumers on what's really happening right now.
12:30Besides that, in Keralam now, another Congress government, the Keralam government, has said,
12:36we too will conduct these kind of tests.
12:39If this spreads now across the country, in more and more states, if you see these kind of tests,
12:44the question will be, what is the result that will come out?
12:47Is it a politically motivated, a politically colored test?
12:50Or is this the reality that E20 sometimes goes up to E31 as well?
12:59And joining us on this broadcast, we've got Prashant G.S., BJP spokesperson,
13:04as well as Mr. British Kalapa, Congress National Spokesperson.
13:07Good evening. Thank you both very much for your time.
13:10Mr. Prashant, I'd like your word first on these findings.
13:13Extremely concerning.
13:15I think every consumer right now in Karnataka will be worried
13:18about what kind of fuel is being sold in the name of E20.
13:23Good evening, Akshita.
13:24Yes, see, if at all the findings are true, and if proper tests have been carried out
13:30in accordance with the procedures laid out, and with the labs which have tested
13:35have got the accreditation to test it properly, then it's one thing.
13:41Now, the oil companies on the contrary claim that samples have not been drawn.
13:45So as BJP, we are not taking a political stand here.
13:49We are with the people of Karnataka to say that if the samples drawn have been proper,
13:54and if the oil marketing companies insist that joint samples be drawn and a fresh sampling
14:01be carried out and testing be carried out, the state government should not worry about
14:05it because it's ultimately not BJP or Congress, but it is the consumer.
14:09So therefore, it is not about who's winning the battle or who's not.
14:13And whoever is guilty, whether it's the oil marketing companies or the end banks, if they
14:20are adulterating it, they should be held liable and in accordance with law actions be taken.
14:24Do you trust these results?
14:25Sir, right now, the test that's been conducted and what's been found, do you trust this?
14:29Do you believe what they're saying?
14:32Akshita, it's not about what I believe in.
14:35For any test to be done, it cannot be unilateral.
14:37You cannot randomly do something.
14:39You have to do it in accordance with the procedures established by law.
14:42And once you make a claim that oil marketing companies are responsible and oil marketing
14:46companies in turn say that the petrol banks are responsible if they are adulterating at
14:49their end, you would not know at whose end the fault lies.
14:53So therefore, it is imperative to go into the root of the matter, let a joint survey or
14:58sampling be done, and whoever is guilty may be punished in accordance with law.
15:02Okay, so you're not dismissing it.
15:04Very clearly, you're not dismissing it.
15:06You're not denying it completely.
15:07None of that.
15:08No, it is actually because it's a technical thing.
15:10It's not about BJP dismissing it or Congress wanting to up the end.
15:14Sir, I'm glad you're saying that, but the reality is that on this technical thing,
15:17there's been no reaction from the central government.
15:20Akshita, the central government did not react.
15:21It's the oil marketing companies who are there, oil marketing companies and the end
15:28of petrol banks who ultimately give out the fuel, and the state government has got every
15:34right to investigate into the entire procedure.
15:39Let the common samples be drawn.
15:42You have the representatives of the oil marketing companies, you have the state government
15:45representatives, and then please draw the samples and do the tests and whatever the
15:50results are, and if found guilty, take action in accordance with law.
15:55You should not do it for political gains, but you should do it for the welfare of the consumers.
15:58Mr. Brijesh Kalapa, your opening statement, sir, the BJP is saying that, look, there must
16:02be accountability.
16:03That accountability is not on the part of the BJP, at least.
16:07See, Akshita, I think as far as this ethanol issue is concerned, this seems to be primarily
16:13the brainchild of one union minister who has been pushing this, and there are indications
16:19that he and his family members benefit from this decision to infuse ethanol into petrol.
16:25Now, the point is this, that one, you have the first thing that they should have done is
16:33to have ensured that there will be ethanol-compliant companies.
16:36The manufacturer itself ought to have made it ethanol-compliant, but that has not been done
16:41without making a vehicle ethanol-compliant.
16:44They have straightaway said, no, we'll go around with E20, right?
16:48If you go to a country like, say, Thailand, you have the option of E0, you have the option
16:53of E20.
16:54That option should be left to the consumer.
16:56It should not be the government that decides, right?
16:59But here, the consumer has no say.
17:01As you know, ethanol has a hygroscopic nature which attracts water, and therefore, there
17:08are several complaints in the city that the petrol tanks are full of water, and so many
17:15people have had to remove the water from time to time.
17:18Now, that was an extent of E20 only.
17:22Now, if a situation has arisen where the extent of ethanol has been increased unilaterally to
17:30E31, then what happens to the vehicle?
17:33Because people spend lakhs and lakhs on building vehicles.
17:37You know, and then ultimately, if the wear and tear is so much, if the carbon deposits are
17:42so much, that the vehicle itself becomes redundant, who is going to bear this loss?
17:47No, but Mr. Kalapa, the BJP is saying they share your concern.
17:51No, it's not merely to say that thank you for sharing our concerns, but thank you for beating
17:57us on the head repeatedly.
17:59You know, what is the point of sharing our concerns while beating us on the head repeatedly?
18:03See, ultimately, you have to understand this, that there has been a…
18:07One minute, one minute, one minute, one minute, one minute, one minute.
18:10So, the point is this, that 67 tests have taken place across the, you know, board, and
18:17then all 67, they find that the ethanol extent is 31.
18:22So, when this is the case, can it be said that there is a mixing in each of these 67?
18:28The 67 don't belong to the same owner.
18:31So, let's assume there is an extent of mixing, that somebody is doing it to profit here.
18:35But it can't be the same case for 67 stations separately.
18:39So, this is beyond comprehension.
18:42See, the first thing is that there is somebody benefiting from the whole thing.
18:46Who is the person benefiting?
18:48Mr. Prashant, do you want to answer that?
18:51See, Akshita, the Congress strategy has been always hit and run.
18:55They make wild allegations.
18:56They follow Rahul Gandhi.
18:57He makes wild allegations and then apologizes in the Supreme Court time and again because
19:02he doesn't have proof.
19:03So, therefore, this sort of hit and run is not the agenda.
19:06That is in the DNA of Congress.
19:08They always do that.
19:09They don't have proofs.
19:10They talk about vote story.
19:11They don't have proofs.
19:12They want to have street fights.
19:14Even for this, now they are making acquisitions against one of the ministers without any proof.
19:18So, they should not get on to this theatrics and politics here.
19:21Instead, if consumer welfare is supreme, why are they refusing the oil marketing companies' request to have a joint survey
19:31being carried out?
19:32Let the representatives of oil companies and the state government officials and probably the bank owners also be present when
19:38the samples are drawn.
19:40You have raised a lot of allegations, sir.
19:42It is only fair to get the Congress' reaction.
19:44But I do apologize.
19:45We have got a minister with us on this broadcast.
19:48So, thank you, Mr. Kalapa and Mr. Prashant for joining us.
19:50I again apologize that we had to cut short that conversation.
19:53Let's cut across to this exclusive.
20:00Mr. Rizwan Ashrod, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs in Karnataka, is joining us on this broadcast.
20:06Mr. Ashrod, good evening.
20:08I'm glad we managed to fix that audio connection.
20:11Run us through, sir.
20:12First of all, what you found in the test that you conducted.
20:15From what I've read, this started in September and you've tested over 60 different locations.
20:23See, we, from September 21st onwards, we started collecting samples and collection of samples does have a process to be
20:33followed, the procedure to be followed according to rules and regulations.
20:37I cannot just do it on my own wins and fancies.
20:40And when we collect these samples, it has to be done in the presence of the oil marketing companies or
20:47their dealers, whoever is authorized there.
20:50And it is jointly signed and the density of that fuel, which we are collecting as a sample, needs to
20:57be recorded.
20:59And all the parameters have to be recorded.
21:01And then the same sample, a set of sample is taken by us, a set of sample is taken by
21:06them.
21:07Right.
21:07So it is not an exercise done in isolation, only by the Karnataka government.
21:13So we have followed all the rules and regulations.
21:16Today, I have shown in my press conference, all the documents of that record, and I'll be sending that to
21:23all this, to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.
21:28And 63 samples we collected and sent it to the same oil marketing companies, asking them a few pointed questions.
21:36And one of that question we had, which we needed clarification was, what is the percentage of ethanol blended in
21:44these samples?
21:45Right.
21:46And these 63 samples does not come from one district, from not from one company, one marketing, oil marketing company
21:53does not come from one region.
21:55It is spread across Karnataka state, across all oil marketing companies, and collected at different times, not that it is
22:04just done in one day.
22:06So they refused a clear-cut answer.
22:10They sent vaguely, dodging this pointed question.
22:14Then we got suspicious.
22:15And then we again collected samples.
22:18So you did a second test?
22:23We did a second test.
22:27At one go at 14 places, out of seven districts.
22:31And the same process was followed.
22:32One set of sample was with them.
22:35One set of sample was with us.
22:36And we sent it to an NABL accredited ISO certified lab.
22:41Because you didn't satisfy us.
22:43You never came out with the exact results of what my concerns were.
22:49So we had to go to a third-party lab, an independent lab.
22:52It was not tested at a government facility.
22:55And that third-party lab very clearly established that these samples contain up to 31.2 ethanol blend.
23:04What am I supposed to do?
23:06When I came to the same oil marketing company, they didn't ask me to come for a joint inspection.
23:11They could have asked me to come for a joint inspection, then itself.
23:14Now, after I went to a third party, a certified party, who is also accredited and certified by the same
23:22government of India.
23:23And from there, I bring my results.
23:25Now you ask me to come for a joint inspection.
23:28When I know fully well that I have exposed you, and you are trying to set right your ethanol limits.
23:33And once you set right your ethanol limits, you ask me to come for a joint testing.
23:38I'm not a fool.
23:40I also have some common sense.
23:44Sure, Mr. Asha, but let me highlight, for example, what these companies say, like Indian oil.
23:48They're saying that we conducted samples from different states.
23:52I think they've said about 27 states where they've actually collected these samples.
23:56And then they've said that, okay, in Karnataka also we conducted this kind of random testing.
24:00You may have found 31%.
24:02We found under 20%.
24:05So they're saying that the variation itself is very different, which is why they've raised those questions, sir, about what
24:10you found.
24:11I can believe your version or I can believe their version.
24:14It ultimately comes to that.
24:15It's a he says, she says now.
24:18So let me tell you one thing.
24:20There is a conflict of interest here.
24:22The oil marketing companies who are supplying the oil, themselves are testing the oil and certifying their own supply.
24:29Is it not a conflict of interest?
24:31I have gone to a third party.
24:33I have not got it done in a government facility.
24:35I have gone to a third party, which is certified and accredited.
24:39You are certifying your own supply of oil and you claim that everything is fine.
24:46So what I'm telling here to the government of India is, please set up an independent testing mechanism.
24:54Independent of the oil marketing companies.
24:57Here the accused is the oil marketing company and the judge is also the oil marketing company.
25:01They're judging their own case and certifying their own product.
25:05So this is not fair to the common people.
25:08So the government has, our demand has been very clear.
25:11Set up an independent testing mechanism, a third party independent testing mechanism.
25:16Independent of the oil marketing company.
25:18So the people are assured that these companies are not doing anything which is not permissible.
25:25What prompted it, Mr. Rizwan Ashad?
25:27What prompted you and your government to say, look, we need to go ahead and test the E-20 fuel
25:32that's being supplied to the people of Karnataka?
25:35Was there a suspicion?
25:37This is my second leg of campaign on petrol banks and oil marketing companies.
25:41The first leg of campaign was one and a half month back where we did understand and examined whether the
25:49correct quantity of fuel is being discharged in the dispensing units and whether they are calibrated, not calibrated, everything.
25:57And we found out that 85% of the petrol calibration units out of 3,200 nozzles we checked, 2
26:05,700 odd nozzles were not dispensing correct quantity of fuel.
26:10Quantity, I'm not talking about the quality.
26:12That generated a huge awareness in the state and in the social media.
26:17And wherever I went, the people were asking, sir, there is some problem.
26:22My vehicle is not giving the mileage it needs to give, which I have been experiencing earlier.
26:29It used to give good mileage.
26:30Now suddenly there is a drop in mileage.
26:31And suddenly there is repairs among two wheelers, cars everywhere.
26:36So we are not getting exact amount of mileage, we are not getting the, you know, earlier the stability the
26:43car had, we are sending it for repairs and repair charges and servicing charges have gone up.
26:49That prompted us to probe a little further.
26:52So we thought we were doing a campaign on the quantity of the oil, which is being dispensed.
26:57Now we need to do something on the quality as well.
26:59And out of, I mean, out of goodwill, we didn't go directly to a third party laboratory.
27:05We went to the same oil marketing company, requesting them to give a test result on these parameters, which our
27:12government wants to know.
27:13So when they dodged us, when they dodged us, only then we had to, we had to, yeah, go ahead,
27:27sir.
27:28So only then we had to go to a third party laboratory.
27:32And my thing is that we have given them enough chances.
27:37We have given them opportunities to satisfy us, satisfy the people of Karnataka.
27:42When they could not do that, only then we went to a third party laboratory.
27:48So after shock, we got to know that they are blending more, way more than E20 and all the concerns
27:55of the people.
27:56That their mileage is dropped, their vehicles are getting, you know, issues in their engines.
28:09No, but Mr. Ashad, you're rightly, you're rightly putting the honours on these oil marketing companies.
28:14And yes, they have a lot to answer for, because you're right.
28:16These are very, very concerning what these samples have found.
28:20You also put the honours, sir, on the BGP, on the central government.
28:24Now the BGP, and we had Mr. Prashant with us.
28:27They say that, look, we're equally concerned.
28:29There should be an impartial look into this, the agency involved in this testing should be an impartial third agency,
28:36as you have highlighted.
28:38When the central government, when the BGP is dragged into this, then does it become unnecessarily political?
28:44Is this then about political brownie points rather than the issue here?
28:54Not really, not really.
28:56The central government decides the policy of blending the ethanol, and they decide the percentage of the ethanol.
29:02It is executed by the oil marketing companies.
29:05And ethanol policy, you know, the way they have escalated it to E20, before the five years before the deadline.
29:14The E20 was supposed to get implemented by 2030.
29:17They advanced it by 2025.
29:19Although the percentage of E20 compliant vehicles is very minor, still manufactured.
29:26And the majority of the vehicles are not E20 compliant.
29:30The same Siam, if you understand society of Indian automobile manufacturers, wrote to the central government on 26 July of
29:40this year, 2026.
29:41And within one week, they were pressurized to take it back.
29:44They wrote that the mixture of chlorine and in the ethanol is so high that vehicles and their engines are
29:55getting corroded.
29:56It is affecting the performance of the engine.
29:58They are coming back for repairs.
30:00Please do something about it.
30:02E20 has these issues.
30:04Once they openly wrote this, they had to withdraw this after the pressure of the central government.
30:09The same car manufacturing companies have reported.
30:12They have been pressurized to withdraw their own attorney general in Supreme Court went and said it's an experiment.
30:18He was asked to retreat.
30:19See, what I'm telling you, BMW like company, the CEO of BMW comes and says, my car engines cannot handle
30:25beyond E20.
30:27E30, we don't manufacture cars.
30:29A company like BMW with a sophisticated engine cannot handle E30.
30:34Can you believe that cars used by middle class people, two wheelers used by middle class, upper middle class, lower
30:41middle class people can digest this E20 and above fuel?
30:45Is it not a responsible government's responsibility to come out and expose this and demand for an independent mechanism to
30:55be set up permanently?
30:56I'm not asking independent testing at one go, at one time.
31:02I'm asking, make it a permanent feature where oil marketing companies and their samples will not be tested by their
31:09own labs, but it will go to independent authority.
31:12They will time and again, periodically keep checking and assuring the people things are right.
31:19Now there is no, nothing is right in this oil and natural gas department because not only about ethanol, you
31:27call high speed diesel, you call high speed petrol, you charge 160, 170 rupees for that.
31:33Nobody knows what is being mixed, what is not being, there is no clarity.
31:37Everything is ambiguous and people of India are paying from their own pockets way more than what they are getting
31:45back.
31:46This is the problem.
31:47You have put forth your demands, sir, to the central government and why you believe that they must also be
31:51accountable for what's happening.
31:52My final question to you, Mr. Rizwan Ashad is, are you okay and are you open to now a joint
31:57inspection with these oil marketing companies?
32:03I want it to be randomly done periodically, not one time.
32:07I know for the fact that in the six terminals in my state, Karnataka, where you are blending, because we
32:12have six terminals where they blend, you know, ethanol and all these six parameters, once we expose them, they have
32:20now set it back right.
32:21Now they are blending E20 and now they are asking me to come for a joint testing.
32:25I also have little common sense.
32:28I also understand how it works.
32:30So you think it will be E20 now?
32:33Now it will be E20 because you have been exposed very badly in front of people.
32:37You will not dare to go E30 now, but maybe down the line three months, down the line six months,
32:43you will again start blending once this issue dies down.
32:45So there, I am asking the central government, demanding from them, set up an independent testing mechanism by third party,
32:54not by the, here there is a conflict of interest.
32:56The Bharat Petroleum sends petrol, supplies petrol and tests its own petrol, certifies its own petrol.
33:02IOC does the same, HPCL does the same, Reliance does the same, any other shell does the same.
33:09How are you going to give them the authority to certify their own product?
33:13Is this not a conflict of interest?
33:16Is it in the interest of justice?
33:18Whether it is in the interest of justice is my question.
33:20No, I will reiterate, sir, that the findings of, in fact, this survey, these samples that you have collected is
33:27extremely concerning for every single consumer in Karnataka and across.
33:31Now we are seeing other states also emulate your example and conduct these tests.
33:36Mr. Rizwan Ashra, thank you.
33:38Thank you for joining us here on India Today, sir, and giving us some of those details of what you
33:42found.
33:42This is, of course, leading to several questions once again on ethanol blending in the country.
33:48We will have to see how really OMCs particularly respond, because so far they have said we are open to
33:52a joint inspection and say that there is no question of excessive ethanol blending.
33:57From Delhi to Chennai and Hyderabad, geography may be different, but the pollution story was the same yesterday.
34:04Chennai and Hyderabad witnessed a sharp spike in pollution, with the AQI levels touching alarming highs.
34:10Here's a breakdown of what each southern city looked like.
34:19A day after Diwali, it wasn't just Delhi that blanketed into thick smog.
34:23From the national capital to India's southern cities, the post-Diwali pollution story is looking all too familiar.
34:30According to open-source air quality monitoring platform AQI.in, while Delhi's AQI went up to 2,283 after Diwali,
34:40Chennai and Hyderabad also witnessed a sharp deterioration in air quality.
34:45With AQI levels crossing the 766 mark in several areas, in Chennai, intermittent rainfall provided some relief, but failed to
34:54completely clear the polluted air.
34:58We are here today, the next day, after Diwali, and you can see we have a clear sky.
35:03That is a pattern over here.
35:04However, on Diwali Day, this was not the situation, as we also have reports that the air quality index was
35:09absolutely horrific to breathe,
35:11and all because of the weather situation.
35:13We also had a rainy day prediction, along with that, a thick smog, all because of the crackers burst.
35:19One good thing about Chennai is that crackers are burst only on two days, on specific times that are being
35:24allotted by the Tamil Nadu government.
35:26The story was no different in Hyderabad.
35:29The city woke up to a grey, smog-filled morning on Monday, a day after Diwali celebrations.
35:35Sunday night, AQI levels in some areas even crossed the 900 mark, according to GoAQI.in.
35:42However, as the day progressed, air quality levels gradually improved.
35:48As Hyderabad celebrates Diwali with firecrackers and festivities, air quality remains the main focus.
35:54Well, the Telangana Pollution Control Board's monitoring machine here, monitoring device here in Khertabad,
36:02has recorded air quality at 73, which is said to be good.
36:05Children, senior citizens and people suffering from respiratory alignments are advised to minimize the exposure to smoke and polluted air.
36:14Every year, the post-Diwali pollution crisis returns, leaving people gasping for clean air.
36:21But, is this becoming the new normal?
36:24You may have never touched a cigarette in your life, but the air you breathe could expose you to particulate
36:30pollution,
36:31comparable to that from smoking several cigarettes a day.
36:35Bureau Report, India Today.
36:39And the Chennai Open Tennis final was also postponed due to the hazardous AQI levels.
36:45Here's more.
36:49The day after Diwali has brought about the usual drop in the air quality index across India,
36:55with pollution levels now several notches over what they should be.
36:59In the capital city of New Delhi, measures like water spraying are already being deployed
37:04in a bid to keep the AQI numbers under some control.
37:08But it wasn't just the national capital that was hit,
37:11as the Chennai Open final between defending champion Janice Chien and Magda Lynette,
37:17which was supposed to be held on Sunday evening, was also postponed.
37:21To make matters worse, Chien then posted a story on Instagram,
37:25showing not only how bad the smog looked,
37:28but also the alarming AQI of 1,556,
37:31which seemingly did not deter the organizers.
37:35The match was first delayed by rain showers,
37:37but had to be postponed even further,
37:39as heavy smoke from Diwali fireworks encuffed the stadium entirely.
37:44This isn't the only sporting event in recent times to be hit by pollution in India.
37:49In 2025, a T20i between South Africa and India and Lucknow
37:53had to be called off due to pollution,
37:56when India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was spotted training in a mask.
38:00An upcoming cricket game between India and Sri Lanka
38:03that was said to be held in New Delhi
38:05was also shifted to Vizag amid concerns about the winter pollution.
38:10With the Chennai Open set to end after this calendar year,
38:13it was perhaps not the farewell the tournament deserved,
38:16but it serves once again to highlight India's growing pollution woes.
38:23Malayalam superstar Mamoti is facing hate from left groups in Kerala.
38:28Why?
38:28Because of his closeness to a BJP leader.
38:31The superstar's visit to a BJP leader's house
38:34is what sparked the latest round of Mamoti versus left,
38:38particularly on social media,
38:40where a lot of pro-left handles are now criticizing,
38:43slamming the actor for meeting BJP state vice president,
38:47B. Gopalakrishnan, at his residence.
38:48The BJP leader's daughter had gotten married.
38:51Mamoti couldn't attend and so went to his residence to convey his wishes.
38:55He wasn't the only one.
38:57Chief Minister Vidi Satishan had attended the wedding.
38:59Former Chief Minister Pinaray Vijayan,
39:02representative, the face of the left, attended.
39:05And yet Mamoti is the only one to face all of this hate from the left
39:08over a simple, non-political, friendly meeting.
39:11This isn't the first time this has happened.
39:13It's not surprising either.
39:15Because in Kerala, where two superstars,
39:18Mamoti and Mohanlal, have made it clear
39:20they will not be dragged into politics or taking a stand,
39:23they constantly find themselves in the heart of a political controversy.
39:27故 who has chosen the gymnasts.
39:28What would you like to say that the parents,
39:29who taught to be in Uhh-