Aug 12, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says that political parties should ensure that communalism at any level is not used in election campaigning.

JVP parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti said that elections should not be used to create ethnic divisions.

He made these comments in reference to the destruction of several houses near the Muslim mosque in the Ulnochchi area in Batticaloa last night.

He condemned the incident and said that politicians were now trying to further aggravate the incident by claiming it to be a clash between two communities.

He added that some political parties were trying to spread communalism in order to gain a vote bank.

"It is not right to create ethnic divisions for petty political gains," Handunnetti said.

According to Handunnetti, the government needs to ensure that the Muslim people who have been displaced by the attack be resettled in their homes.