New Delhi, Dec 24 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram today appealed to the people of Orissa to maintain peace and harmony among different communities.

In a statement issued, Chidambaram said, "The situation in Orissa has been engaging the attention of the Central Government in the last two weeks. There was a call for a shutdown on December 25 by a number of organizations that had demanded the arrest of persons involved in the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati."

Chidambaram in a statement said that he also spoken to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today and he assured him that there will be no shutdown on December 25.

"The Government of Orissa has reported that they had arrested seven persons suspected in the murder of Swami Saraswati," he said.

As far as security is concerned, the Home Minister said, "The Central Government has provided a large number of security personnel to assist the State Government in maintaining law and order. Apart from 24 companies of CRPF deployed on a long term basis in Orissa, the Central Government has provided an additional 49 companies of CRPF and 4 companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF)."

The Central Government has also provided a helicopter to the State Government for patrolling over Kandhamal and Sambhalpur districts. (ANI)