Sharad Pawar faces Maratha protests and black flags in Maharashtra

Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar on Sunday faced angry Maratha agitators in separate incidents who stopped his vehicle in Solapur district and later raised slogans and waved black flags when the veteran politician was addressing a rally in Barshi town. Visuals aired by television channels showed a group of people raising "Maratha aarakshan" slogans stopping Pawar's SUV near Kurduwadi village and asking him to clarify his stand on the reservation issue.

The former Maharashtra chief minister can be heard saying he supported the reservation but protesters said he was not speaking his mind on the issue. "You have been talking for a long time about supporting reservation for the Maratha community. Why don't you publicly declare your stand on this issue?" a protester asked Pawar.

In a separate incident which occurred within hours after Pawar's SUV was stopped, some youths reached the venue of his rally in Barshi town and raised slogans hailing quota leader Manoj Jarange. They also showed black flags when Pawar was delivering a speech.

A Solapur police officer confirmed the incident, saying the youths were overpowered by security guards and police personnel and detained. Speaking at the rally, Pawar took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his assurance of doubling the income of farmers.

Phone, WhatsApp hacked, says Sule

MP Supriya Sule has alleged that her phone and WhatsApp have been hacked. In a post on ‘X' on Sunday, the Baramati legislator requested people not to call or message her. "My phone and WhatsApp have been hacked. Please do not message or call me. Please note that I am filing a police complaint," she wrote.

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