New Delhi: The Centre today (Dec 28, 2003) turned down the outlawed ULFA's (United Liberation Front of Assam) offer for conditional talks through a neutral mediator on its demand for sovereignty, saying the sovereignty and integrity of the country cannot be compromised.

"There is no question of any compromise on the sovereignty and integrity of the country," Minister of State for Home I D Swami told reporters after the 64th Anniversary Parade of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) in New Delhi.

Swami was responding to a question on ULFA 'Commander-in-Chief' Paresh Baruah's reported statement that the outfit was ready for peace negotiations with New Delhi on its main demand of sovereignty with a "neutral third party mediator" acting as a facilitator.

Barua had reportedly demanded that the neutral third party had to be a 'nation state' as ULFA could not trust mediators from within India to be "neutral".

Asserting that the pro-active policy against the banned outfit would continue, the Minister said, "There cannot be talks with pre-conditions".

He, however, clarified that as a matter of principle, the Centre was ready for talks with any insurgent group, which laid down arms and did not put forward any conditions.

Swami expressed the hope that ULFA would respond to the amnesty offer of the Assam Government and join the mainstream.

He said after the operation of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA), ULFA was demoralised and it cadres were on the run.

The Minister thanked the Bhutan Government for having launched the operation against the insurgent outfit and said New Delhi persuaded the Himalayan Kingdom for it through diplomatic channels as it was in the interest of both the countries.