Delhi Police placed activist Tehseen Poonawalla under house arrest at his residence on Saturday ahead of his planned solo protest march to Gandhi Smriti.
Poonawalla planned the 'March for Awaaz Ki Azaadi' and a hunger strike against the Union government's E20 fuel policy after police denied permission for a vehicle march.
The activist shared social media videos questioning the lack of official documentation for his detention, while police cited potential law and order concerns.
Police Allegedly Place Activist Tehseen Poonawalla Under House Arrest
"An entire battalion of Delhi Police, including women officers, has put me under house arrest! Nitin Gadkari is scared of ethanol," Poonawalla tweeted
Summary
Delhi Police confined activist Tehseen Poonawalla under house arrest on Saturday. The restriction preceded his scheduled hunger strike and solo march against the government's E20 fuel policy.
Poonawalla shared videos on social media showing police officers at his doorstep. "An entire battalion of Delhi Police, including women officers, has put me under house arrest! Nitin Gadkari is scared of ethanol," Poonawalla tweeted.
A separate clip showed the activist challenging the police over the absence of official warrants. "No papers, nothing. I am under house arrest...Azaadi ke 15 din pehle aap mujhe detain kar rahe [you are detaining me 15 days before Independence Day]," Poonawalla said to a police officer. The officer warned that the demonstration might trigger law and order issues, asking him to cooperate.
Protest Plans Blocked
Poonawalla announced a solo walk to Gandhi Smriti, a silent protest and a hunger strike, dubbed 'March for Awaaz Ki Azaadi', on Friday. This decision followed authorities denying permission for a 'Gaadi March' to Parliament scheduled for July 31.
Transport groups backed the initial rally. The Delhi Taxi and Transport Owners and Tour Operators Association supported the event, but police officers refused permission, fearing a recurrence of the July 20 student clash. Poonawalla sought to channel rising public anger after month-long Cockroach Janta Party protests over leaked exam papers forced Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign.
Poonawalla said he led the first on-ground protest against E20 fuel on July 5. He added that Instagram briefly suspended his account before he planned the solo march.
The E20 Controversy
E20 petrol is a blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol. Several vehicle owners with pre-2023 models said the fuel blend reduces mileage and increases maintenance costs.
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari acknowledged the efficiency drop. The E20 blend lowers fuel economy by 2-6% but exhaustive trials showed no linked engine breakdowns, Gadkari said. In a written parliamentary response, he added that the mixture improves acceleration and cuts carbon emissions by 30% compared to E10 fuel.
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Team Bharat leads the anti-E20 campaign. Its representatives met Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday to demand that fuel outlets continue selling E5, E10 and pure petrol to offer consumers a choice. Puri gave no assurances.
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