More than a month after it sought Supreme Court’s nod to declare “null and void” the pact between the Ambani brothers in their dispute over pricing of gas from the Krishna Godavari fields, the Government changed its stand today saying “it is not the intention of the Government to enter into the arena of private arrangements entered into between parties or question the validity and legality of MoU, lock, stock and barrel”.

Moving a new application before the Supreme Court, the Government sought permission to alter its prayers made in an appeal earlier in the battle between Mukesh Ambani-promoted RIL and the RNRL led by younger brother Anil. The Government said it was “in no way concerned with the private dispute between RIL and RNRL or between the Ambani brothers, but is only concerned with its rights as owner and regulator of natural gas.”

The application shall be taken up for hearing on October 20.

This new stand was in line with the decision taken by a ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, following a bitter spat on the gas issue — the Anil Ambani group, which has been seeking fuel from RIL at the same price as that sought by NTPC, also launched an advertisement campaign.

(Speaking at the Idea Exchange programme of The Indian Express last week, Mukherjee had said that the Ambani brothers must sort out their differences either through discussions or by getting in arbitrators in the larger interest of the nation, its government, the capital markets and the economy.)

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