Tehseen Poonawalla says he has been put under house arrest to prevent him from launching solo protest against E20 policy

Political analyst and entrepreneur Tehseen Poonawalla on Saturday claimed that Delhi Police had placed him under house arrest at his Greater Kailash-1 residence in the national capital, preventing him from undertaking a planned peaceful protest against the mandatory E20 ethanol-blended petrol policy.

Poonawalla, who has been vocal against the ethanol blending programme and has repeatedly targeted Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on the issue, was scheduled to begin a solo walk from APJ Abdul Kalam Road to Gandhi Smriti on the morning of 1 August.

This was to be followed by a maun vrat (vow of silence) and hunger strike under the banner of Team Bharat, described as a non-violent demonstration in defence of freedom of expression and against the E20 policy. The announcement for the event had been made a day earlier by the citizen group associated with the campaign.

Today morning Poonawalla posted a series of videos and messages on X stating that a large contingent of Delhi Police personnel, including women officers, had arrived at his home and restricted his movement. “I am being arrested at GK1. No crime against me, no papers, no documents… nothing!” he wrote in a post, sharing a photograph of a police vehicle parked outside the building named Mani Kunj.

In subsequent posts he declared, “I AM UNDER HOUSE ARREST,” and “An entire battalion of @DelhiPolice cops including women officers have put me under house arrest!! Nitin Gadkari ji sir is scared of #Ethanol.” In another post he wrote, “The @DelhiPolice force that has put me under house arrest so I cannot speak against Ethanol.”

Videos shared by him show police officers stationed at the doorway of his residence. In one clip, Poonawalla is seen speaking to an officer inside the house, repeatedly asking for any written order or document. He can be heard saying that he is being detained fifteen days before Independence Day. The officer is heard responding that the proposed protest could lead to a law-and-order situation and seeking cooperation.

In later videos recorded in the presence of media persons, Poonawalla stated that the police had informed him that as he had announced his protest on social media in advance, thousands of people might come out to join him, which was the reason for the action. Poonawalla also claimed that one officer told him he was “a great human being” but that orders had come “from the top” to place him under house arrest.

Poonawalla further alleged that internet connectivity in the area had been disrupted, with media personnel complaining of jammed signals, though he managed to continue posting updates. He used hashtags such as #EthanolScam, BETA BADHAO YOJNA and SUGAR DADDY in his messages, reflecting his long-standing criticism that the ethanol policy benefits certain sugar interests and distilleries.

Delhi Police have not issued any official statement confirming or denying the claim of house arrest.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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