GUWAHATI | A protest by Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi against the Centre’s ethanol-blended fuel policy sparked sharp exchanges in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, overshadowing proceedings during the second day of the Budget Session.

Ahead of the commencement of the day’s business, Gogoi staged a demonstration at the Assembly premises, pushing a motorcycle mounted on a handcart to symbolise what he described as the adverse impact of E20 fuel on vehicle owners.

The legislator alleged that the introduction of E20 petrol – fuel blended with 20 per cent ethanol – had damaged vehicles and imposed an additional financial burden on middle-class consumers.

Claiming that the policy had negatively affected millions of vehicle owners, Gogoi demanded that consumers be given the option of choosing between E20 fuel and conventional petrol.

“The limit of exploitation has been crossed. Vehicles belonging to ordinary people are being damaged. People should have the freedom to choose between E20 fuel and normal petrol,” he told reporters outside the Assembly.

He also questioned whether ethanol blending had produced any tangible benefit for consumers, arguing that fuel prices had not declined despite the policy’s implementation.

The demonstration soon became the subject of a heated debate inside the House, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika objecting to legislators staging protests within the Assembly complex on matters not formally raised during proceedings.

Stressing that the Assembly was meant for legislative business rather than demonstrations, Hazarika pointed out that Assam already has a designated protest venue at Chachal in Guwahati.

He further argued that a trend had emerged in recent years in which some legislators preferred public demonstrations and media interactions over raising issues through established parliamentary procedures.

Referring to a protest held on the opening day of the session over Assam’s flood situation, the minister said certain matters were being highlighted outside the Assembly without being adequately discussed within the House. He urged Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass to refer the issue to the General Purposes Committee for consideration.

The remarks triggered objections from Opposition members, who accused the government of attempting to restrict elected representatives from expressing their views publicly.

TMC MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed defended the right of legislators to speak to the media and raise issues outside the Assembly.

“Members are free to express their views before the press. An issue not being discussed in the House does not mean it cannot be raised elsewhere,” he argued.

As the debate continued, members across party lines voiced frustration over the time consumed during Question Hour.

Congress MLA Abdur Rahim Ahmed said legislators had important constituency matters to raise but were unable to do so because of the prolonged exchanges.

AIUDF legislator Mazibur Rahman also expressed concern, alleging that repeated confrontations involving Gogoi often disrupted House proceedings and left other members unable to raise pending questions.

The latest controversy comes just a day after Gogoi and fellow Raijor Dal MLA Mehboob Mukhtar staged another symbolic protest on the opening day of the Budget Session. The two legislators appeared wearing life jackets and carrying placards to draw attention to the recurring flood crisis and its impact on communities across Assam.

Tuesday’s episode once again highlighted the growing friction between the ruling alliance and Opposition parties over the use of protest politics within and around the Assembly, even as legislative business continues during the ongoing Budget Session.