Tehseen Poonawalla under house arrest before E20 protest, offers cops sugarcane juice

Tehseen Poonawalla, an activist known for his public demonstrations against government policies, found himself under house arrest on Saturday as he attempted to participate in a protest against the E20 fuel policy and rising sugar prices. According to videos shared by Poonawalla on X, Delhi Police officers reportedly detained him at his residence, preventing him from leaving to join the demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The incident unfolded amid allegations that current policies are benefiting politically connected individuals while increasing costs for ordinary citizens. In the footage, Poonawalla questions the police about the detention, expressing confusion over why he was being stopped from attending the protest. A police officer present during the encounter tells him that his request to visit the protest site had been “cancelled” due to law-and-order concerns. The officer claims that allowing Poonawalla to proceed might result in a larger gathering, with some “wrong people” possibly joining him. Poonawalla challenges this reasoning, asking whether the police can legally prevent him based on such speculation. Poonawalla, speaking to India Today Digital, describes the protest as a peaceful effort to draw attention to the “sugar scam,” which he argues has led to higher sugar prices. He asserts that these policies disproportionately benefit the children of politicians while burdening everyday consumers. “The Delhi Police, as usual, came over to my house and has detained me,” he says. “I am under house arrest. No documentation… I just offered them a glass of sugarcane juice.” Later, Poonawalla released additional videos showing him offering sugarcane juice to the police officers stationed outside his home. This act, he explained, was meant to highlight his critique of the rising cost of sugarcane products and the ethanol-blending policy. In one post, he wrote, “The sugar scam is a bitter scam in the face of a policy.” The gesture gained attention online, though Poonawalla’s primary focus remained on his inability to protest against the E20 policy. Poonawalla also accused the authorities of trying to suppress dissent around the E20 fuel policy, which he claims is harming vehicles through increased ethanol content. He argued that the policy and the resulting price hikes are straining household budgets. “They don’t want us to protest against the ethanol 20 blending policy, which is destroying our vehicles,” he said. “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.” This latest detention follows a previous confrontation between Poonawalla and the Delhi Police on July 31, when he had planned a solo march from APJ Abdul Kalam Marg to Gandhi Smriti to protest the E20 policy. That protest was also met with resistance from law enforcement, indicating a pattern of tension between the activist and authorities over his public demonstrations. The situation continues to unfold with Poonawalla remaining under house arrest, with no formal documentation of his detention. As the controversy surrounding the E20 policy and sugar prices intensifies, the broader implications for public dissent and policy accountability remain under scrutiny.