Tehseen Poonawalla alleges house arrest ahead of E20 protest

Activist Tehseen Poonawalla has alleged that Delhi Police placed him under house arrest to prevent him from participating in a planned peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar. The protest, organized by his group Team Bharat, was intended to target rising sugar prices and the central government’s E20 fuel policy.

Poonawalla claims the E20 policy, which mandates blending up to 20% ethanol into petrol, and current sugar regulations constitute a “sugar scam” and an “ethanol scam.” He argues these policies primarily benefit politically connected families while placing an economic burden on ordinary citizens. He also expressed concerns that the ethanol-blending mandate could potentially damage vehicles.

Police officials reportedly informed Poonawalla that his permission to proceed to the protest site was cancelled, citing concerns that his presence could attract supporters and lead to disruptions by “antisocial elements.” Poonawalla challenged the legitimacy of being detained based on mere speculation of potential unrest.