The Congress on Thursday accused transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s sons of profiteering from the Centre’s ethanol-petrol blending policy and dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a probe into the “conflict of interest”.
Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that Gadkari’s sons, Nikhil and Sarang, run ethanol ventures that have registered exponential growth since the government rolled out the nationwide policy of petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol.
“The father sits in the government making policies, while the sons make money,” Khera alleged, stressing that it was a clear case of conflict of interest. “Is the E-20 ethanol a public policy or an alleged windfall for Gadkari’s sons and their companies? Modi vows ‘zero tolerance’ on corruption. So will the Lokpal dare investigate the allegations on Gadkari and his sons?” Khera asked.
Khera claimed Gadkari’s sons run two ethanol ventures — Cian Agro Industries & Infrastructure Ltd and Manas Agro Industries and Infrastructure Ltd. “Cian Agro’s revenue jumped from ₹18 crore (June 2024) to ₹523 crore (June 2025), stock price surged 2,184 per cent from ₹37.45 (January 2025) to ₹638 (August 2025),” he claimed, highlighting how the sons profiteered while the common people continue to struggle.
The Congress’s allegations have come amid a backlash from motorists across the country over ethanol-blended petrol. Motorists have flagged concerns over low mileage, damage to engines and high maintenance costs because of the use of ethanol-blended petrol.
Gadkari has defended the policy, arguing that it reduces emissions and boosts farmers’ income.
