Sunday, April 23 2006 14:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Taking a tough line, the Government has said the separatists groups in Jammu and Kashmir did not have a 'veto' on the 'success or otherwise' of the second roundtable conclave to be held in Srinagar next month.

At the same time, it maintained that efforts were on to tell the separatists to "recognise the validity and utility of participation" in the meeting to be presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 25.

"I don't think the success of the roundtable depends on the attendance of any group - A, B or C. In any case, I don't think the separatists have a veto on the success or otherwise (of the roundtable)," National Security Adviser M K Narayanan told sources here.

He was replying to a question whether separatist groups have indicated their participation and whether the conclave will be relevant if they do not attend.

The first roundtable conclave, chaired by the Prime Minister, was held here on February 25.

Founder member of JKLF Hashim Qureshi was the only separatist leader present at the meeting while others, including hard as well as the moderate factions of Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq respectively, JKLF led by Yaseen Malik and separatist leader Shabir Shah, did not attend the meeting.