Tehseen Poonawalla detained at home ahead of E20 protest, offers sugarcane juice to cops

Activist Tehseen Poonawalla on Saturday alleged that Delhi Police stopped him from leaving his residence as he planned to protest against rising sugar prices and the Centre's E20 fuel policy, claiming he was placed under house arrest over concerns about a possible law-and-order situation.

Videos shared by Poonawalla on X showed him questioning police personnel outside his home about why he was being prevented from travelling to Jantar Mantar. A police officer told him that his request to visit the protest site had been "cancelled" and that allowing him to proceed could create a law-and-order problem if supporters joined him.

The officer also said "some wrong people" could be among those who joined the protest. Poonawalla questioned whether he could be stopped based on such a possibility.

Speaking to India Today Digital, Poonawalla said Team Bharat, a citizen advocacy group he founded, had planned a "protest peacefully against rising sugar prices", which he described as part of a "sugar scam". He alleged that the policies behind the price rise were benefiting politically connected families while increasing the burden on consumers.

"The Delhi Police, as usual, came over to my house and has detained me," Poonawalla told India Today Digital.

"I am under house arrest. No documentation... I just offered them [the police] a glass of sugarcane juice," he added.

Poonawalla later posted on X that he and others had been detained and suggested he could be arrested if he attempted to leave. He also alleged that police had referred to law-and-order concerns following protests held at Jantar Mantar on Friday.

"...Yesterday's kids were singing Vande Mataram and Hanuman Chalisa!! How were they wrong and how have we been detained?" he posted on X.

Don't Miss: ‘75% of global trade will be covered’: Piyush Goyal says India is negotiating FTAs with other 8-9 blocs

Poonawalla targets sugar prices, E20 policy

Poonawalla's protest was focused on both the rise in sugar prices and the government's ethanol-blending policy. He alleged that the E20 policy was affecting vehicle owners and said the broader sugar and ethanol policies were putting pressure on household budgets.

"They don't want us to protest against the ethanol 20 blending policy, which is destroying our vehicles," he said.

Poonawalla also alleged that the policies were benefiting the children of politically connected people while ordinary consumers were paying more.

"They don't want us to protest against the rising sugar prices and against the scam that is making kids of Netas millionaires and completely taking away our peace of mind — both of our vehicles and of our house budget."

He also posted on X, "The sugar scam is a bitter scam in the face of a policy."

Sugarcane juice gesture draws attention

After sharing a video of police personnel asking him not to leave, Poonawalla posted another video in which he offered sugarcane juice to the officers stationed outside his residence.

The gesture was meant to underline his criticism of rising sugar prices and ethanol policies. Poonawalla suggested that the cost of sugarcane juice could also rise as a result of the policies he is opposing.

The videos shared by Poonawalla do not show a written detention order being presented to him. They do show police telling him not to proceed to Jantar Mantar, saying his permission had been cancelled and citing potential law-and-order concerns.

Poonawalla has questioned why he was being stopped from exercising his right to protest.

The latest incident comes weeks after a similar confrontation between Poonawalla and Delhi Police over his proposed protest against the E20 policy.

Must Read: 'Normal practice ahead of any VVIP visit': India responds to US envoy's 'no questions' remarks

On July 31, Poonawalla announced a solo march from APJ Abdul Kalam Marg to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg, where he planned to observe a day-long hunger strike against the policy. The announcement came after police allegedly denied permission for his proposed Team Bharat "Gaadi March" to Parliament.

Poonawalla has repeatedly opposed the government's E20 policy, under which petrol is blended with up to 20% ethanol. His criticism has since widened to the government's sugar and ethanol policies, which he has described as the "Sugar Scam" and "Ethanol Scam".

He has alleged that these policies benefit politically connected families while increasing costs for ordinary consumers.