KOLHAPUR: NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar faced the ire of Maratha activists while on his way to Barshi in Solapur from Pune and at the venue where he addressed a congregation of farmers on Sunday.
Pawar's convoy was stopped near Kurduvadi after he left Pune. The activists demanded that Pawar clear his stance on Maratha reservation, and complained that he had not done much so far. They let him go after he responded, while sitting inside his SUV, that he supports reservation.
However, barely five minutes into his 20-minute speech in Barshi, Maratha activists standing alongside the pandal started shouting slogans - "Ek Maratha Lakh Maratha, Manoj Jarange Tum Agey Bado, Hum Tumhare Saath Hai" - and waved black flags.
NCP (SCP) chief heckled by Maratha activistsPawar paused briefly before resuming his speech, highlighting farmers' issues.
Soon after, a Maratha activist doused himself with petrol at the rally. Policemen standing nearby intervened quickly, and doused the flames. They later took him into custody.
Earlier, in his speech, Pawar said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to double the farmers' income. "But doubling of income has not happened. Instead, the rate of farmer suicides has doubled. The reason is that farmers are not getting fair prices for their produce," he said.
Pawar added that Modi was not using his power for the sake of workers, farmers and youths.
"Wherever we go, we find youths depressed. They have no jobs. If the youth of any country goes into depression, the future of that country faces the same fate - it goes into depression," he said.
After the event, NCP (SCP) MLA Rohit Pawar targeted Mahayuti govt in the state for causing the anger among Marathas.
"The protesters may not be aware of who is in power and who is in the opposition. But we uphold the values of democracy.
Politicians in power must decide on reservation that can stand the judicial test. Devendra Fadnavis's supporters challenged the reservation of 16% we gave to Marathas, and the same people are also challenging the reservation given by the current govt. Fadnavis should ensure his people do not go to court," he said.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.