Moderate Hurriyat leaders reject preconditions

Correspondents say Sri Prakash Jaiswal's comments are unlikely to help restart talks which recently stalled.

On Monday, the separatists described "conditional dialogue" as unacceptable.

India's constitution says Kashmir is an integral part of India. The previous BJP-led government began talks with the moderates earlier this year.

Correspondents say the impasse is a setback for the broader peace process between India and Pakistan.

'Insincere about peace'

"I do not think any Indian home minister has ever said that talks could be held outside the Indian constitution," Mr Jaiswal said on a visit to Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-administered Kashmir.

It has to be a dialogue within the Indian constitution Indian junior Home Minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal

"Talks can be held only within the constitution."

But moderates in the Hurriyat Conference separatist umbrella group accuse India's new government of being insincere about peace.

A Hurriyat statement on Monday said: "Talks with the previous Indian government were unconditional. The new government has put conditions which militates against the spirit of a dialogue."

Mr Jaiswal agreed that dialogue had broken down with the Hurriyat, but blamed internal conflicts within the separatist camp.

Separatists 'in-fighting'

"The breakdown of talks is not a failure of the Congress-led government. It is due to factional fighting among the separatists.

"Talks will be resumed when there is a conducive atmosphere for it. We are ready for talks if a strong party comes forward.

"But the pre-condition remains: it has to be a dialogue within the Indian constitution," he said.

The minister added that the inflow of a large number of tourists and pilgrims to Kashmir showed that the overall security situation was fast improving.