<h1>Minister defends nationwide E20 ethanol rollout, links farmer suicides to water scarcity; opposition alleges relatives' ethanol business ties</h1> A union minister credited ethanol with sustaining the sugar industry and urged agricultural technology adoption, linking farmer suicides to water scarcity. An NGO's water-conservation work was praised. Separately, a national opposition party accused the minister of lobbying for ethanol because relatives allegedly have stakes in ethanol firms that benefited from government policy; the ruling party denied wrongdoing. The Supreme Court recently dismissed a public-interest litigation challenging nationwide deployment of 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20), which critics say may harm vehicle performance and fuel economy. The minister characterized social-media criticism of E20 as a politically motivated campaign.