Sangli (Maharashtra), Sep 7 - Sangli and Miraj towns in Maharashtra Monday remained under curfew following communal disturbances while arson and violence erupted in Ichalkaranji town ahead of the assembly elections as the opposition blamed the state government for the situation.

District authorities imposed a 24-hour curfew in Ichalkaranji, a town populated by nearly 2.70 lakh, from 5.45 Monday evening, a Kolhapur police control official told IANS.

Citing preliminary information, he said there were reports of 'arson, stone-throwing and group clashes'.

There were reports of stone throwing in Satara and Sholapur districts in which some state transport buses were damaged.

Sangli and Miraj, the twin towns around 400 km south of Mumbai, had been tense since Thurday over a Ganeshotsav pandal displaying a picture depicting Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji killing Mughal emperor's commander Afzal Khan, and a 'victory rally'.

A clash between two communities forced authorities to clamp curfew on the town Sunday.

State Home Minister Jayant Patil Monday evening appealed to all political parties to exercise restraint and maintain peace in Sangli, Miraj and Ichalkaranji.

Several senior opposition leaders, including state Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari and former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, slammed the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance for its failure to contain the situation.

The leaders of the newly created 'third front' in the state, Republican-Left Democratic Front, also lashed at the government led by Chie Minister Ashok Chavan.

RLDF leader Ashok Dhawle demanded to know why such incidents occur only before the elections.

Monday morning, police prevented Munde from boarding a flight from Mumbai to Kolhapur following an order issued by Kolhapur district collector.

'Police have mishandled the situation in Miraj,' said Munde, a former state home minister. He later left for Sangli by road but was detained at Lonavala in the evening.

Soon after Munde was disallowed from boarding the flight, his supporters staged demonstrations outside the Mumbai airport, forcing police to cane them.

Speaking to mediapersons Monday afternoon, Gadkari alleged that the state government was 'solely responsible' for the ugly situation.

'That Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan is a historical fact. The Ganeshotsav mandal in Miraj had put up a decoration depicting this. The government has removed it. There was not a single complaint from the local Muslim community over this,' Gadkari said.

'It appears that the government wants to change the course of history.'

Alleging discrimination, he said that while the government allowed Minister Anees Ahmed to go to Sangli, BJP leader Munde was prevented from doing so.