BHUBANESWAR - Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday blamed the Orissa government and the police for failing to control the communal violence in Kandhamal district last year.

“The police machinery failed to contain violence for the first 30-40 days,” Chidambaram told reporters here after assessing the situation in the riot-hit region earlier in the day.

“What happened on August 23 and subsequently was regrettable…condemnable,” he added.

“There is no place for communal violence and it should not be allowed to instigate violence against a section of society by the other,” he said after meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and senior officials here.

Chidambaram, however, said that the situation was turning normal in the riot-hit areas of Kandhamal, where at least 38 people were killed last year.

The region, about 200 km from here, witnessed widespread communal violence after the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and four of his aides at his ashram Aug 23, 2008 last year.

Thousands of Christians were forced to flee their homes after their houses were attacked by rampaging mobs following the killings. Although there is no violence reported from the region since December last year, about 1,500 victims are still at government relief camps.

The home minister said he visited some of the relief camps and met the victims.

“I told them that they should go back to their villages. The state government and the central government will protect them,” he said.

He also assured the displaced people that all necessary help and protection would be provided so that they can lead a trouble-free life.

“You must be confident that you are safe,” the minister told the victims.

Chidambaram said he has received allegations of substandard rice being provided in the relief camps and that some of those accused in the violence are roaming around the area scot free.

“The situation is returning to normal but we can’t lower our guards in those areas,” he said. “It is the duty of the state and centre to remove the sense of fear from those people,” the minister added.