A fresh political confrontation has emerged over the Centre's E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal announcing a nationwide campaign against the move while Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari prepares legal action over deepfake videos circulating on social media. The developments come just days after former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid the NEET-UG controversy, with opposition parties attempting to build momentum around another public issue. According to reports, Gadkari has secured the court's permission to initiate legal proceedings against major social media platforms over AI-generated deepfake videos that allegedly link him to profiteering from the ethanol-blended fuel policy. The minister has not publicly commented on the legal strategy, but the move signals a tougher response to online misinformation.

The controversy has also taken a political turn after Arvind Kejriwal announced a "National Town Hall" scheduled for the coming weekend to rally public support against the E20 policy. Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi Chief Minister said his party plans to collect more than 200,000 petitions from across the country and submit them to Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week. Kejriwal argued that concerns surrounding E20 should be addressed before they escalate into a larger public movement. Referring to the recent resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, he claimed that public pressure had forced the government to act in the education sector and urged the Centre to respond similarly on the ethanol issue. The AAP has indicated that it will continue its outreach campaign in multiple states over the next few days.

The Narendra Modi government has consistently defended the E20 ethanol-blended petrol policy, rejecting allegations that the fuel causes engine failures. Officials have maintained that while there may be a marginal reduction in fuel economy in some vehicles, the policy is intended to reduce India's dependence on imported crude oil, support domestic ethanol production, and lower emissions. The government has repeatedly said that compatible vehicles are designed to operate safely on E20 fuel. However, the issue has gained traction online in recent weeks, with viral memes, criticism from political opponents, and misleading content circulating across social media platforms. As legal proceedings over the deepfake videos move forward and political campaigning intensifies, the E20 policy is expected to remain a key point of debate in the coming days, both inside and outside the political arena.