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.