‘Emotional’ Anil seeks patch-up But RIL Says It’s A Legal Dispute, Not Just Family Feud

New Delhi: Anil Ambani on Sunday invoked "divine blessings'' ahead of Diwali to offer an olive branch to his estranged elder brother, saying "he has "maintained the greatest of love, affection and respect for Mukesh...and all disagreements can be sorted out in a cordial and conciliatory manner''.      After a pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath, Anil issued a statement on Sunday saying, "I sincerely believe that Mukeshbhai and I can, even at this late stage, sort out all our disagreements, in a constructive, cordial and conciliatory manner, if we both commit to getting this done''.      However, a late-night RIL statement indicated there was little chance of a dramatic resolution. It said, "RIL has always maintained that the dispute under litigation is not merely a family matter. Vital national interests in terms of securing government's revenue from the natural gas the government owns and GoI's sound policy framework for promoting India's energy security, are at stake. The interests of RIL's shareholders are also at stake. RIL does not belong to a family. It belongs to shareholders, to those associates who have made this journey possible and most importantly to the nation, India. Issues which arise out of a decision of the Bombay high court transcend any private differences between two brothers or two corporate entities now (and) can only be decisively resolved by a decision of the highest court.''      Stating that "the conduct of RADAG so far makes it difficult for RIL to believe Shri Anil Ambani has had a real change of heart'', RIL accused him of indulging in a "malicious campaign which reached its nadir through a vicious series of advertisements, unprecedented in India's corporate history''.      "What is both saddening and perplexing is that Shri Anil Ambani has yet again sought to communicate to RIL and its chairman through the public domain, whereas he could have easily contacted his elder brother directly,'' it added.      In his statement issued earlier in the day, Anil Ambani said, "The issues are only a handful, and the facts are well known. My judgment says that they can all be resolved in a matter of weeks, and will not require several months of discussions.'' He also called for a "generous heart, a willing mind and accommodating spirit''to resolve the issues between them.      Entities led by the two brothers have been engaged in a protracted legal battle over the terms—envisaged in their demerger agreement—for supply of gas from Mukesh's Andhra offshore field to Anil's power plant proposed to be built at Dadri in UP. Oh Brother, Let's Bury The Hatchet  I sincerely believe that Mukeshbhai and I can, even at this late stage, sort out all our disagreements, in a constructive, cordial and conciliatory manner if we both commit to getting this done...The issues are only a handful, and the facts are well known—Anil Ambani  The conduct of R-ADAG so far makes it difficult for RIL to believe Shri Anil Ambani has had a change of heart. What is both saddening and perplexing is that he has yet again sought to communicate through the public domain, whereas he could have easily contacted his elder brother directly—RIL 'Resolving row will be best gift to mom'  New Delhi: The case involving the gas supply dispute between the Ambani brothers is pending in the Supreme Court, which is to start hearing the warring entities from October 20. The legal battle has witnessed trading of allegations over corporate impropriety on several occasions.      Admitting that some demerger promises have been realised, Anil regretted that the "joy of that achievement has been tempered by the sorrow, pain and anguish of continuing disagreement and acrimony with my elder brother, Mukeshbhai.''      He expressed sadness over the ongoing legal battle, saying, "To my lasting regret, despite all my well-meaning efforts, I have failed— pushing us even to the extreme step of recourse to litigation to protect the interests of over 11 million shareholders of our group''.      Anil hoped that his feelings would be reciprocated and sought "divine inspiration and blessings to heal the wounds with Mukesh''. He said there could be no better gift to their mother Kokilaben than to resolve issues amicably as "elder statesmen and family friends'' wanted an end to the current impasse.      The elder statesmen could well be Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. Both the leaders have separtely urged the brothers for a settlement in the "national interest'' as both the business empires account for a huge chunk of India Inc's market capitalisation. Even oil minister Murli Deora, who had been accused by Anil of favouring Mukesh, had said he was "disgusted'' with the fight and it should end.