Vijaypat Singhania, who had stepped down as the Raymond Group chairman in 2015, has denied any reconciliation with his estranged son Gautam Singhania, who now heads the textile group.
A photo posted by Gautam Singhania with his father had sparked the rumours of their reconciliation last week. “Happy to have my father at home today and seek his blessings. Wishing you good health papa, always,” read the caption on Instagram.
But Vijaypat Singhania told India Today TV that his son had invited him home with an ulterior motive to click the photo and send a strong message to the media.
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Mr Singhania (senior) said his son’s assistant called him on March 20 and invited him home. On his refusal, his son Gautam appeared on the screen and persuaded him to visit his house for coffee.
He said he reluctantly agreed.
“Soon after, I started receiving messages with my photo with Gautam on the Internet, claiming Gautam and I had made up, which was completely false,” he added.
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He said the invitation was neither for coffee nor to resolve their differences, and doubted the “real motive” behind it. “It is the first time in 10 years that I have ever entered JK House and I don’t think I’m going to have to enter it again,” he added.
Vijaypat Singhania, 85, had handed over the charge of the Raymond Group to his son Gautam in 2015 and stepped down as the chairman in 2015, following which the relationship between the two soured. In 2018, he was also removed as Raymond’s Chairman Emeritus.
