Days after a GenZ-led protest movement successfully ousted India’s education minister, a new social media campaign has emerged targeting the government’s controversial ethanol-blended fuel policy.

The exit of Dharmendra Pradhan following protests led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is being seen as a moment of reckoning for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It was a rare setback for Narendra Modi and a big win for the newly-minted CJP, whose young supporters have openly mocked the prime minister and his cabinet colleagues through raps, placards, and graffiti.

A distinctively Gen Z-led movement, the CJP demanded accountability for the cancellation and rescheduling of a major university entrance exam for medical students, before spiralling into a vehicle for broader dissatisfaction with the Modi government to be aired.

The success of the viral youth movement has now prompted social media users to decide their next target – Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways since 2014.

A new social media campaign has been dubbed the “E20 Janta Party”, styling itself after the CJP, and has already raked up a following of 468,000 on Instagram.

The widespread promotion of E20 fuel, a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol, is part of the government’s strategy to reduce crude oil imports amid the US war on Iran.

The 20 per cent ethanol-blended petrol became the only fuel sold at India's 90,000 petrol pumps at the end of last year, causing uproar among motorists in the world's third-largest car market.

The government said on 20 July it has no plans to raise the ethanol content in gasoline beyond the current 20 per cent, amid fears of further increases and criticism that the blend reduces efficiency and vehicle performance.

The introduction of E20 sparked concerns for owners of older vehicles that are not designed for the fuel. Car owners have complained of compatibility issues, fuel corrosion, and reduced fuel efficiency.

Mr Gadkari has been the face of the government drive to encourage adoption of E20, previously challenging critics to point to a single vehicle that had suffered problems because of the fuel.

The minister, an influential figure once seen as a possible successor to Mr Modi, said he had always backed alternative fuels to reduce vehicular pollution and India’s import bill, as he called criticism “politically motivated”.

But as that criticism mounted, on Tuesday Mr Gadkari claimed he had no role in formulating or implementing the E20 policy, saying it was entirely handled by the separate petroleum ministry.

While Mr Gadkari admitted that a car’s mileage is likely to be affected when using E20, he dismissed claims of engine damage to vehicles saying carmakers like the giant Maruti Suzuki had not seen any impact.

The E20 Janta Party campaign demanded that consumers be given the option of buying 100 per cent petrol at the pump. The group’s handle on X posted: “Our demand is very clear…. E20 Janta Party is a people-powered movement demanding transparency, accountability, and the right of every Indian to know how the E20 policy affects their vehicles, wallets, and consumer rights.”

The group stated they are not calling for subsidies, complimentary fuel, or an end to E20 but that motorists are given the option to select the fuel suited for their vehicles.

Their campaign comes as comments like “next number is of ethanol scientist”, “Pradhan out, next Gadkari” flooded the social media.

It’s not immediately clear how much of the support for the “cockroach” movement will be transferable to the E20 issue, but a viral video online showed protesters earlier this week telling police that they will return to target Mr Gadkari next.

A fresh protest march to parliament against the E20 policy, this time organised by Delhi-based transport associations, has been announced for 4 August.

Announcing the strike, Samrat Sharma, the president of the transporters association, said: “Transport operators and vehicle owners from different parts of the country have reported reduced fuel efficiency, higher maintenance costs and concerns regarding engine performance after the introduction of E20 fuel.

“Many vehicles manufactured before 2015 are not designed for 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol. This form of fuel is actually fit for new model.”

As well as denying involvement in the E20 policy, Mr Gadkari has brought legal action against Meta, X and Google over the platforms’ failure to censor allegedly defamatory AI-generated deepfake videos and manipulated digital content linked to the controversy.

In the plea before the Bombay High Court court, he said unknown persons have circulated posts and deepfake content falsely portraying him as personally responsible for the programme, with some of the posts alleging that he and his family financially benefited from the move.

Calling the allegation false, malicious and grossly defamatory, the minister said such posts are designed to create a misleading public perception about him, causing “grave and irreparable” harm to his reputation. He has demanded damages of Rs110m (£863,000) from the social media platforms.