Assets for charity: Birlas

Breaking their silence for the first time since the controversy over Priyamvada Birla's will erupted on Monday, the Birla family yesterday said: "The late MP Birla had clearly and unequivocally decided to leave his entire estate for charity. This desire was repeated several times by Smt MP Birla to the family and family friends."

In a joint statement, KK Birla, BK Birla, GP Birla, SK Birla, CK Birla, Siddharth Birla, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Yash Birla said: "The Birla families are united to secure the estate for charity as the late MP Birla had intended "" and none of the families will like to have any share of the assets of late MP Birla and Priyamvada Birla."

The statement stated: "Comments suggesting that the Birla family is contesting the purported will to asserts their right or the rights of some members of their families to the estate of Priyamvada Birla are baseless."