PM's office seeks ministry's views on remarks by Anil Ambani

He has made an allegation that the government is siding with Mukesh

In a communication sent earlier this week, PMO has asked the petroleum ministry for comments on issues raised by Anil in a letter, wherein the industrialist urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to direct the ministry to “cease from overtly and covertly attempting to intervene in our commercial dispute with RIL.”

Anil’s letter was first reported on Monday, two days after the petroleum ministry moved the Supreme Court seeking annulment of a Memorandum of Understanding between Mukesh-led RIL and Anil group firm RNRL.

Spate of utterances

“We have recently seen a spate of unfortunate public utterances with unusual frequency, by various functionaries in the petroleum ministry... in a manner not witnessed in any other part of the government that too on a matter that is sub-judice in the Honourable Supreme Court,” Anil’s letter said.

The petroleum ministry, in its petition, had also sought a stay on the June 15 Bombay High Court decision that directed RIL to supply gas to RNRL at US$2.34 per mmBtu, a price that is 44 per cent less than the government-prescribed rate.

The Supreme Court will hear on September 1 admissibility of the petition, along with the cross petitions filed by the two brothers challenging the High Court decision.