NEW DELHI, Oct 16: India contradicted US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s comment on Tuesday that the Kashmir dispute was “central to the relationship” between India and Pakistan.

Disagreeing with Mr Powell just minutes before he landed in New Delhi from Islamabad, the foreign ministry said that “terrorism” sponsored by Pakistan in Kashmir — and not Kashmir itself — was the problem.

“The issue of Jammu and Kashmir being at the heart of India-Pakistan tension...we certainly do not agree with that premise,” ministry of external affairs spokeswoman Nirupama Rao told a news conference.

Jawed Naqvi adds from New Delhi: US Secretary of State Colin Powell arrived in New Delhi to a glum reception on Tuesday, amid no indication that India would yield easily, or even with some coercion, to Washington’s calls for restraint in its ongoing duel with Pakistan in Kashmir, which became noticeably ugly on Monday.

On the contrary, defence minister George Fernandes issued warnings that Indian forces could step up attacks on militants in Kashmir and engage Pakistan along the Line of Control with “no holds barred”.

Labelling Monday night’s operations along the LoC and a stretch in Kashmir that India regards as International Border, as a “punitive” measure, Fernandes told reporters that 30 infiltrators were killed and 11 Pakistani posts destroyed in firing by the army which used small arms, air defence guns, automatic grenade launchers and mortars.

“There has been no reduction in infiltration and the terrorist camps across the border are still there though activity has come down,” Mr Fernandes told his first press conference after his re-induction as defence minister on Monday.

Mr Fernandes said close US-Pakistan ties after the launch of war against terrorism posed no security threat for India. On US President George Bush’s call to India and Pakistan to stand down from their confrontation, he said, “I would prefer not to comment”.

On whether there had been any redeployment of forces by Pakistan in the wake of the Afghan crisis, Mr Fernandes said there had been “no change” since the six-month-old ceasefire in Kashmir was called off in May. “There has been some (Pakistani) troop movement but entirely of a defensive nature,” he added. A high-pitched rhetoric from Mr Fernandes was matched by a cool reception for Mr Powell at the airport.

Witnesses said, when he arrived the usual red carpet was missing from the tarmac and instead of external affairs minister Jaswant Singh, foreign secretary Chokila Iyer was deputed to receive Mr Powell.

A foreign ministry briefing, minutes before Mr Powell’s plane was preparing to land in Delhi, focused on Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s talks with Russian, Iranian and Turkish interlocutors. Mr Powell’s visit was discussed only in response to questions.

However, later in the evening the mood appeared to have been tempered somewhat. Foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao told reporters that a pre-dinner one-on-one meeting between Jaswant Singh and Powell had progressed quite well.

“They had a 50-minute meeting followed by dinner,” Rao told reporters. “It was extremely cordial and positive and an opportunity to further expand, broaden and deepen the relationship.” Afghanistan was discussed, but Rao did not say if Kashmir was also mentioned.

Mr Powell’s remarks in Islamabad, virtually echoing President Pervez Musharraf’s quest in Agra to acknowledge Kashmir as a central issue with India, brought to the fore another member of the dramatis personae from the July summit, information minister Sushma Swaraj.

“We are not planning to discuss Kashmir, no matter what General Powell has to say,” she told a TV channel in a discussion on the visit.

The US secretary’s visit was expected initially to consolidate on anti-terrorist support from Washington’s newfound but as yet untested ally. But Indian analysts said there could be further expressions of India’s annoyance at Mr Powell’s remarks in Pakistan.

A CNN reporter tracking Mr Powell’s tour through Pakistan and India, two uneasy nuclear neighbours and both supporters of the US-led anti-terrorist coalition, said that Mr Powell was expected to “get an earful” from New Delhi about the greater importance being accorded to Islamabad by the Bush administration than it was getting before September 11.

There was no relenting on India’s recently revived position that terrorism in Kashmir must end to resume talks with Pakistan.

Asked what had changed on the ground that India could hold a summit with Pakistan in July and plan another one in New York in September, but not respond to Mr Powell’s call for resumption of dialogue, Rao said: “We have always been for talks.” She recalled that Jaswant Singh had said recently that the “dogs of war cannot overtake the caravan of peace.”

Mr Powell will meet Mr Vajpayee on Wednesday. He is also scheduled to hold separate talks with home minister Lal Krishan Advani, national security adviser Brajesh Mishra and opposition leader Sonia Gandhi before leaving for Shanghai.