With the Christian community in Orissa apprehending violence during Christmas, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram spoke to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday and assured him necessary assistance for protecting lives and property of the people.

Chidambaram said that the Centre has provided a large number of security personnel to assist the state government in maintaining law and order.

Apart from 2,400 CRPF personnel deployed on a long-term basis in the state, which witnessed prolonged communal violence, the Centre has provided an additional 5,300 personnel of CRPF and Rapid Action Force (RAF), he said in a statement.

"Today, the Central government has provided a helicopter to the state government for patrolling over Kandhamal and Sambalpur districts," Chidambaram said and appealed to the people of the state to maintain peace and harmony among different communities during the celebrations.

Chidambaram said he has asked the Chief Minister to keep him informed about the developments and offered further assistance, if necessary.

"I have impressed upon him that it is the responsibility of the state government to maintain law and order and protect the lives and property of all sections of the people in the state," he said.

The Home Minister's statement comes in the backdrop of a bandh call on Thursday given by a number of organisations demanding arrest of persons involved in the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati.

Following the bandh call, members belonging to the Christian community, including Church leaders, had expressed apprehensions about their safety and the safety of their places of worship.

Observing that the situation in Orissa has been engaging the attention of the centre in the last two weeks, Chidambaram said the state government has reported that it has arrested seven persons suspected in the murder of the Swami.

The state government has also been able to persuade the organisations concerned to withdraw their bandh call, he said, adding that the Chief Minister has assured him that there would be no bandh on Thursday.