New Delhi, August 17: The Centre today said Manipur Government withdrew against its advice the law that gives special powers to armed forces but said it is willing to hold "unconditional" talks with anybody to bring normalcy in the violence-torn State.

"On 12th of August 2004, against the advice given by the Union Government, the State Government withdrew the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the city of Imphal and allowed it to remain in force in rest of the State," Minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal, told Parliament in a statement on the situation in the State.

"We are ready to talk to anybody who is willing to talk to us," the Home Minister Shivraj Patil said in Rajya Sabha as the Opposition demanded initiation of immediate dialogue with political parties and civil groups in Manipur for restoration of peace in the disturbed border State.

"Our policy is very clear.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his Independence Day address to the Nation has already stated the Government is willing to talk to anybody who are willing to talk to us," Patil said while replying to clarifications sought by members.

"If the Government is talking to militants in Jammu and Kashmir, insurgents in Nagaland and naxalites in Andhra Pradesh, it finds no problem in talking to insurgents in Manipur," he said.

Replying to a suggestion by party member and former Manipur Chief Minister Rishang Keishing that the Centre should take initiative to hold talks with insurgents, Patil said "through you, we are ready to open dialogue with anybody".

Appreciating Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh, the Home Minister said he was trying to improve the situation and the Centre would not let him down.

"We are giving an opportunity to an elected representative to do its duty and if they fail, the nation will do its duty�.

The main Opposition BJP today demanded in Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should initiate a dialogue with political and civil groups in Manipur and Government should at least review if not repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the State.

The demand was made by BJP's Deputy Leader in the House Sushma Swaraj who said the Prime Minister should call political and civil groups for a dialogue to defuse the tense situation in the sensitive border State.

Her remarks came after Leader of the Opposition Jaswant Singh charged the Congress-led State Government with indulging in "layered blackmail" and "complicity" in the ongoing unrest in the State while seeking clarifications on the Home Minister's statement on Manipur.

Describing the situation in the State as a challenge to the country's unity and integrity and the Constitution, Singh said the CMwas being pressurized to act in a certain manner and he, in turn, was pressurizing the Centre.

"We cannot let this layered blackmail to go on," the Leader of the Opposition said asserting what had been thrown up by events in Manipur was that unity of India was at stake.

He came down heavily on the Govt warning it not to put traffic lights in the operations by armed forces.

"You cannot expect armed forces to lay down their lives for the sake of the country's unity and then talk of their removal from operations," Singh said declaring such steps would amount to lowering their morale and putting question mark on their relevance in combating terrorism.

Both Jaswant Singh and Sushma Swaraj wanted to know how long the Centre would wait before acting in Manipur with the BJP Deputy Leader saying the-Centre's "drift" was fuelling uncertainty in the State.

Swaraj while wanting to know if Government was contemplating to remove Assam Rifles from the State said "contradictory" statements issued by Patil and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee were adding to the uncertainty.

Swaraj said any dialogue should be held only after the agitation was called off and in the talks, deletions of some articles in the Special Powers Act could be worked out.

Jairam Ramesh (Cong) wanted to know what steps the Govt had taken to safeguard families of State police and armed forces personnel.

He also wanted to know whether any dialogue was proposed to be held with civil society groups in the State.

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