Anil wants to end tussle with Mukesh

In a surprise move, industrialist Anil Ambani today reached out to estranged elder brother Mukesh saying all disagreements can be sorted out in a cordial and conciliatory manner.

Returning from a pilgrimage to Kedarnath and Badrinath on the eve of Dipawali, Anil said in a statement he has "maintained the greatest of love, affection and respect for Mukesh ... Over past four years have left no stone unturned to find a solution."

Calling for a generous heart, a willing mind and accommodating spirit to resolve the issue, he said that there could be no better gift to mother Kokilaben, adding the elder statesmen and family friends wanted end to current impasse.

The two brothers are engaged in a bitter court battle over allocation of gas and the Supreme Court will commence hearing of the case from October 20.

No comments can be obtained immediately from Mukesh Ambani's spokesperson.

Today's overtures from Anil Ambani follow a controversy over marketing margins that RIL was charging Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra) to supply KG gas to a power plant in Andhra Pradesh. Last week, R-Infra agreed to pay the marketing margins but said it would do so under protest.

Meanwhile, in today's statement, Anil Ambani said he hoped that his feelings would be reciprocated and sought "divine inspiration and blessings to heal the wounds with Mukesh Ambani".

It may be recalled that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier expressed a wish that the two brothers come together in the larger national interest and similar sentiments were echoed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and other senior government functionaries.