India
oi-Swastika Sruti
Activist Tehseen Poonawalla claims that the Delhi Police has imposed house arrest on him on Saturday as he tried to come out of his residence to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar against high sugar rates and E20 fuel policy by the Centre.
Activist Tehseen Poonawalla alleges Delhi Police placed him under house arrest on Saturday, preventing a protest at Jantar Mantar against rising sugar prices and the Centre’s E20 fuel policy, citing law and order concerns.
According to Poonawalla, his citizens’ rights organization, Team Bharat, was planning a protest against the so-called “sugar scam”. He alleged that due to some government policies, the rates of sugar are being increased, which is beneficial for some politically affiliated entities and burdensome for common people financially.
On the other hand, Delhi Police informed Poonawalla that his visit to Jantar Mantar had been canceled due to law and order considerations.
Police Stop Poonawalla From Going To Jantar Mantar
The videos made public on X by Poonawalla were those where he questioned policemen who were posted near his residence.
Tehseen Poonawalla has been indefinitely detained and going to be potentially arrested today prior to the Janta Darbar scheduled for today at Jantar Mantar.
We are appalled at this as just at the speculation of a Law and Order situation a person cannot be detained like this. Is… pic.twitter.com/HoeSiA5lqn
— Bharat Bachao Aandolan (@OGTeamBharat) August 22, 2026
Through the videos, he questioned them on why he was not allowed to go to Jantar Mantar. The policeman replied that there was no permission given for his visit and allowing him would result in law-and-order problem because of people who might gather to support him at the protest place.
He also spoke about the possibility of “some wrong people” participating in the protest. Poonawalla questioned if his stay could be restricted just on the basis of possibility.
Poonawalla has later gone on to say that he has been put under de facto house arrest and he has not been shown any paperwork for this detention.
Poonawalla Calls Sugar Prices A ‘Sugar Scam’
Speaking to India Today Digital, Poonawalla said Team Bharat wanted to protest peacefully against rising sugar prices.
He described the government’s sugar-related policies as a “sugar scam” and alleged that they were benefiting the children of politically connected people while ordinary consumers were paying higher prices.
Poonawalla said the issue was directly affecting household budgets and argued that people should be able to protest against policies they believe are hurting consumers.
However, his allegations about the policies benefiting politically connected families have not been independently established.
Why Is Poonawalla Opposing The E20 Policy?
Poonawalla’s protest was also aimed at the Centre’s E20 fuel policy, under which petrol can contain up to 20% ethanol.
He has repeatedly criticised ethanol blending and claimed that the policy could damage vehicles and increase costs for consumers.
Poonawalla told India Today Digital that the E20 policy was “destroying our vehicles” and said his protest was intended to raise concerns about both ethanol blending and rising sugar prices.
He has previously referred to the government’s sugar and ethanol policies as the “Sugar Scam” and “Ethanol Scam”.
Poonawalla Offers Sugarcane Juice To Police
After sharing videos of police personnel outside his home, Poonawalla posted another video showing himself offering sugarcane juice to the officers.
He appeared to use the gesture to make a point about his protest against sugar prices and ethanol policies. He suggested that rising sugar prices could eventually make even common sugarcane-based products more expensive.
The unusual gesture quickly attracted attention on social media, but Poonawalla continued to focus on what he described as his right to protest against the E20 policy.
Delhi Police Cites Law And Order Concerns
According to the videos shared by Poonawalla, police cited law-and-order concerns linked to demonstrations at Jantar Mantar on Friday.
Poonawalla questioned the reasoning, pointing to protesters at the earlier demonstration who were seen singing Vande Mataram and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa.
The videos available from Saturday do not show police presenting Poonawalla with a written detention order. They do show officers telling him that his permission to visit Jantar Mantar had been cancelled and that his movement could create a law-and-order issue.
Earlier Clash Over E20 Protest
This is not the first time Poonawalla has faced restrictions while trying to organise a protest against the E20 policy.
On July 31, he had announced plans for a solo march from APJ Abdul Kalam Marg to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg, where he intended to hold a day-long hunger strike.
The announcement came after police allegedly denied permission for his proposed Team Bharat “Gaadi March” towards Parliament.
Poonawalla has continued to campaign against the E20 policy and has expanded his criticism to include the government’s wider sugar and ethanol policies.
