Participants at Mumbai victory rally hint next issue should be E20
Protesters gathered at a rally in Mumbai led by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to celebrate a political resignation and voice opposition to the government's E20 ethanol-blended fuel policy. Participants expressed concerns regarding vehicle performance and rising fuel costs.
Why it matters
The rally reflects growing public discontent with specific economic policies and highlights the intersection of environmental fuel mandates and consumer economic concerns.
On a rainy Sunday morning (July 26, 2026), Shubham Shyam, 32, held a dafali (traditional hand drum) and stood outside Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park, celebrating the resignation of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “It is time to rest, reset, and then take down Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari,” he declared.
“We will party for two weeks, then we will play the sugarcane game,” Mr. Shyam added, hinting at criticism faced by Mr. Gadkari over the implementation of E20, or ethanol-blended petrol. Mr. Shyam’s thoughts were echoed by other protesters. Aarsh, 25, a content writer, and Rohan, 19, a B. Tech. student, both said, “E20 kills vehicles and people’s pockets”. Rohan said, “Since 10th grade, I have seen fuel prices skyrocket, and now vehicle mileage is poor, and pure petrol is expensive. Why give us a cheaper E20 option? Make petrol cheaper,” said Rohan.
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