The banned United Liberation Front of Asom on Wednesday contested the Government of India's latest statement made in Parliament about not receiving any proposal for direct talks from the insurgent group.

ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, in a statement e-mailed to the media, said the outfit's attention was drawn to the statement made by the government on February 27.

The ULFA leader termed the government's statement as 'false and misleading'. The ULFA leader said that the group, in its letter sent to the prime minister in June 2005, stated that the militant group was willing to come forward for direct talks provided the government agreed to hold discussion on the issue of restoration of sovereignty of Assam.

He said that subsequently the same proposal was conveyed to the government through the People's Consultative Group in October 2006. In addition to the demand for restoration of sovereignty of Assam, the ULFA also raised two more demands in the proposal for talks sent through the PCG -- information about its leaders who went missing after the joint operation by the Indian Army and Bhutanese Army to evict its base in the Himalayan Kingdom in December 2003, and the release of ULFA central committee leaders held captive by the government.

The ULFA chairman alleged that the government was yet to respond to its proposal for direct talks and instead was trying to misinform the members of Parliament to camouflage the sincerity shown by the ULFA to find a political solution to 'Assam-India political conflict'.