Naresh slams E20 petrol policy, says friend spent Rs 3.5 lakh on repairs
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New Delhi: Telugu actor Naresh Vijaya Krishna has criticised the Centre's ethanol-blended petrol policy, describing E20 fuel as a "nightmare" for vehicle owners and warning that the BJP could face electoral consequences if the issue is not addressed.
In a detailed post on X, Naresh claimed that a friend, whom he described as a BJP sympathiser, recently spent Rs 3.5 lakh replacing engine valves on a new Toyota Camry after they were allegedly damaged by ethanol-blended fuel.
He said that if a similar problem occurred in his Porsche Panamera, the repair bill would be around Rs 12 lakh. To avoid that risk, he added, he had switched to 100-octane petrol, priced at Rs 165 per litre.
"This ethanol petrol is giving heart attacks from bike users to high-end car users," Naresh wrote, adding, "What about bike users or anyone for that matter? Nightmares."
Stating that he was "not anti-national", the actor said the government's rollout of E20 petrol, which contains 20 per cent ethanol, appeared rushed and poorly planned.
"As a former leader of BJP, I understand the party has a strong think tank with plans A, B and C. But this decision to protect the environment at the cost of crores of people certainly looks very hasty and radical," he wrote.
Naresh cited Brazil as an example of a country that introduced ethanol blending in phases and questioned why India had implemented the policy at a much faster pace.
"Small countries like Brazil have successfully implemented ethanol in a phase-wise manner and succeeded. Why the hurry?" he asked.
The actor also linked the issue to the BJP's electoral prospects, noting that the party was forced into a coalition government after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and had around two years before the next general election.
"With about two years for the next elections and the last results which ended up in a coalition government as any indication, this is a red signal for the BJP," he wrote.
Naresh is a veteran of Telugu cinema with a career spanning more than five decades and around 200 films. He made his debut as a child artist in 'Pandanti Kapuram' in 1972 at the age of nine and became a lead actor with Jandhyala's 'Nalugu Stambhalata' in 1982. He later starred in several popular Telugu films, including 'Jamba Lakidi Pamba', 'Sri Kanaka Mahalaxmi Recording Dance' and 'Chitram Bhalare Vichitram', before transitioning to character roles in films such as 'Drushyam', 'Guntur Talkies' and 'Chandamama Kathalu'.
Naresh's remarks come amid an ongoing nationwide debate over the use of E20 fuel.
