Shillong: The Centre has authorised no person to hold dialogues with North East insurgents on its behalf and negotiations if any would be tripartite in nature involving the state government, official sources said.

"The Centre has not authorised any person to negotiate with the militants on its behalf. Law and order being a state subject should be dealt by the state government," Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani told Chief Minister D D Lapang in Delhi on July 10.

"None from outside would be allowed to interfere with a state's internal affairs without the knowledge and proper authorisation of its government… The state has the sole responsibility of maintaining law and order and the Centre will continue to render all assistance and support," an official release on July 11 quoted Advani.

The state government would be included in any negotiation, which would be tripartite in nature, the Deputy Prime Minister assured Lapang and Meghalaya Home Minister R G Lyngdoh, who too was present at the meeting.

Advani's assurance came in the backdrop of Union Home Secretary N Gopalaswami's May 14 letter to Lapang, saying the Centre had not authorised anyone to negotiate with militants operating in Meghalaya.

Lapang had in a letter to Advani on May 12 sought to know if former Lok Sabha speaker Purno A Sangma, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga or an ex-minister of the state were authorised by New Delhi to facilitate talks with any militant group following their claims in the media.

PTI