New Delhi: Activist Tehseen Poonawalla on Saturday alleged that the Delhi Police placed him under house arrest at his Greater Kailash residence without any written order, ahead of his planned solo march and day-long hunger strike against the Centre’s E20 fuel policy.
Poonawalla had announced on July 27 that he would walk alone from APJ Abdul Kalam Marg to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg and observe a silent hunger strike against the BJP-led Centre’s E20 fuel policy.
According to Poonawalla, around 9.30 am, nearly 30 minutes before he was scheduled to leave, several Delhi Police personnel, including women officers, arrived at his home and stopped him from stepping outside.
An entire battalion of @DelhiPolice cops including women officers have put me under house arrest!!
Nitin Gadkari ji sir is scared of #Ethanol. #EthanolScam
BETA BADHAO YOJNA
SUGAR DADDY pic.twitter.com/THLToM1HyE— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) August 1, 2026
He alleged that the police neither showed him any written order nor gave him any documents explaining why he was being detained. Poonawalla further claimed that officers told him they were stopping him because thousands of people were expected to join the march.
In one of the videos shared on X, Poonawalla questioned a police officer about being detained without any written order.
“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),” he told the officer.
The police officer responded that the proposed march could have led to a law and order situation and asked Poonawalla to cooperate.
In another post on X, Poonawalla alleged that journalists waiting outside his residence told him they could not access the internet because jammers had been installed near his house.
He also claimed that Delhi Police prevented him from speaking to the media and warned that anyone joining the protest could be arrested and their vehicles seized. Poonawalla further alleged that his Instagram account was suspended and restored a few hours later.
Protest Against E20 Fuel Policy
Poonawalla announced the solo march after police allegedly denied permission for his Team Bharat “Gaadi March” to Parliament on July 31.
While announcing the protest, he had said, “Walking alone and sitting alone in silence is not a violation of any law. I will sit at the spot where Bapu was assassinated in maun vrat, observing a day-long hunger fast.”
Poonawalla has been campaigning against the Centre’s E20 fuel policy and has repeatedly criticised Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari over the issue.
He has demanded that consumers should be allowed to choose between regular petrol, E5, E10 and E20 fuel instead of being required to use E20 petrol.
One of the key demands of his campaign group, Team Bharat, is that fuel stations continue selling 100 per cent petrol, E5 and E10 fuels so that vehicle owners can choose the fuel best suited for their vehicles.
The Centre’s rollout of E20 petrol – a blend of 20 per cent ethanol and 80 per cent petrol – has faced criticism from some opposition leaders and consumer groups. Several owners of older vehicles have claimed that the fuel reduces mileage and increases maintenance costs.