Saturday, July 15 2006 12:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: The ULFA yesterday (July 14, 2006) outrightly rejected Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's offer of releasing jailed cadres and declaring ceasefire only after the banned organisation had establised 'direct contact' with the government for talks, saying the jailed cadres should be released first.

"We will not establish contact, nor release any list of names to hold talks with the government unless the jailed (five) top cadres are released,'' ULFA chairman Arabindo Rajkhowa said in sources to the media here yesterday night after the Chief Minister made the offer yesterday in the Assembly.

The ULFA supremo alleged that the Chief Minister showed 'lack of sincerity' when he insisted that first a direct contact should be established and then the government would release jailed cadres and declare a ceasefire to end hostilities'.

Urging the people 'to start an armed revolution', the ULFA chief said that an acceptable political solution cannot be reached unless the Army operation is suspended.

"The People's Consultative Group is appointed by the ULFA which is not yet disbanded and it amounts to disregarding the group if the government wants to bypass it and hold direct talks", the sources said.

"Terming the recent killing of ULFA cadres as a heinous crime and instance of Indian domiantion," Rajkhowa said,

''This was a planned move to derail the peace process,'' he said.

Earlier PCG spokesman Lachit Bordoloi had also rejected Gogoi's offer on similar grounds.