Ganesh immersions recommenced after a week-long communal disturbances at South-Western town of Miraj on Thursday with authorities relaxing curfew to allow the passage of the idols towards the bank of river Krishna.
Ganesh idols numbering around 100 had remained at pandals without traditional immersion after trouble started on September 3 -- Anant Chaturdashi day -- over a welcome arch erected by pro-Hindutva organisations, portraying killing of Moghul warrior Afzal Khan at the hands of Chhatrapati Shivaji in a historical wartime encounter.
According to Additional Deputy General of Police Shivpratap Singh Yadav, the curfew will remain relaxed till all Ganesh idols were duly immersed on the river ghat and a final decision to lift the curfew will be taken only after reviewing the situation.
In addition to Miraj, the city of Sangli which is district headquarters, and textile township of Ichalkaranji in neighbouring Kolhapur district too have been placed under curfew as violence and group clashes spread in the region leading to deployment of para-military forces.
The District administration of Sangli decided to restart the disrupted Ganesh immersion in Miraj after an all party meeting convened by Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and attended by representatives of Ganesh mandals worked out a settlement in Mumbai two days back to defuse the situation.
