Tehseen Poonawalla, an activist, on Sunday claimed that he was detained by the Delhi Police while participating in a protest against E20 petrol at Jantar Mantar.
Poonawalla shared a video on X showing him breaking through police barricades during the protest. In another post, he said he was prepared to seek bail if arrested.
Hitting out at Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has strongly advocated ethanol-blended fuel, Poonawalla accused the government of using the police to curb protests.
“Jab jab Sugar Daddy darte hain, police ko aage karte hain,” he said in the post.
Poonawalla demanded that the government withdraw E20 petrol and restore E10 fuel, which has a lower ethanol blend.
The protest also saw him raise issues beyond fuel policy. He called for the removal of merchant discount rate (MDR) charges on UPI transactions and demanded the arrest of MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar in connection with the Satya Niketan building collapse.
The remarks came as the E20 debate continues to generate public discussion over the use of ethanol-blended petrol and its impact on motorists.
Poonawalla’s claim of detention and his allegations against the authorities could not be independently verified by The Tribune.
