Demanding talks at the prime ministerial level, the People's Consultative Group, formed by ULFA to initiate the process of dialogue with the government, urged the Centre on Sunday to stop all operations against the banned outfit.

The PCG also took exception to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee's statement that no decision had been taken on ceasefire with ULFA, terming his comment as 'untimely and unwarranted'.

"Definitely we want to talk with the Prime Minister," PCG member Arup Borbora told PTI over phone from Guwahati when asked whom they want to talk with. Borbora, the son of former Assam chief minister Golap Borbora, said the PCG wants a halt to all operations against ULFA for the sake of creating a conducive atmosphere for talks.

• Government willing to talk to ULFA

"ULFA has not launched any offensive for the last couple of months. Any operation against the outfit will only deteriorate the situation," he said, adding that the ongoing Army operation against the extremists at Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in upper Assam was 'unwarranted'.

The defence minister, on Thursday, had said, "Unless and until the ground rules are framed and both sides - Centre and ULFA - agree for a ceasefire, negotiations cannot be held."