Tehseen Poonawalla claims house arrest ahead of hunger strike over E20 petrol: ‘Nitin Gadkari is scared’

Tehseen Poonawalla, who describes himself as a political analyst and consultant, claimed on Saturday that Delhi Police had placed him under house arrest ahead of his planned protest march and hunger strike against the government's E20 petrol policy. On Friday, Poonawalla announced that he would walk to Delhi's Gandhi Smriti, where he would hold a silent protest and a hunger strike against the policy.Tehseen Poonawalla claimed that a Delhi Police officer informed him that the force had received “orders from top to house arrest” him. (X/@tehseenp)On Saturday, he shared a series of posts on social media showing police personnel outside his residence and claimed he had been confined to his home, while also criticising Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari.Tehseen Poonawalla ‘put under house arrest’In one of the videos shared on X, Poonawalla is seen questioning a police officer about how he could be detained without any official paperwork.“Guys, Delhi Police has detained me!!! They have put me under house arrest with NO PAPERS!!” he wrote in an X post.In another post targeting Gadkari, he wrote, “An entire battalion of Delhi Police, including women officers, has put me under house arrest! Nitin Gadkari is scared of ethanol.”‘Orders from top’In one post on X, Poonawalla claimed that a Delhi Police officer informed him that the force had received “orders from top to house arrest” him.In another video he shared, the police officer can be heard saying there were “chances of law being broken” if large numbers of people gathered and joined the activist during the protest against the E20 policy.Row over E20-blended petrolAfter the Cockroach Janta Party's agitation over exam paper leaks, which led to the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Poonawalla has attempted to channel the outrage over E20 petrol.The government's introduction of E20 petrol, which contains 80% petrol and 20% ethanol, has drawn strong criticism from opposition parties as well as consumer groups.One of the main demands raised by Poonawalla and his Team Bharat, which has been leading the campaign against E20, is that 100% petrol, E5 and E10 fuel should remain available so motorists have the freedom to choose.Nitin Gadkari defends E20 policyOn Thursday, the Union minister informed Parliament that petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol (E20) could lower fuel economy by 2 to 6 per cent, depending on the type and age of the vehicle.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Gadkari said E20 offers better acceleration, improved ride quality and around 30 per cent lower carbon emissions than E10 fuel.Protests over E20-blended petrolThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had earlier announced a campaign against the policy beginning this month. At the same time, transport unions in Delhi are preparing to hold a protest march against the programme.AAP national convenor and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said last month that the party would hold a 'National Town Hall Against E20' at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi on August 1."We are inviting people to join in large numbers on this platform, where we will discuss how to create pressure on the central government to withdraw E20 petrol. Experts and people who have faced problems with their vehicles are all invited," he said, adding that those willing to join virtually can send a message to 85-88-833-212.Delhi-based transport organisations have also announced a march to Parliament on August 4 to protest against the E20 policy.“We want to give a wake-up call to the Members of Parliament who have been sleeping on this issue, as the problems in vehicles caused by ethanol blending are being reported from across the country," Sanjay Samrat, president of the Delhi Taxi and Tourist Transporters and Tour Operators Association, said, as quoted by news agency PTI.Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai has reportedly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to remove Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Hardeep Singh Puri from their respective portfolios over the issue.With inputs from agencies