Background announcement – not audible
Manoj Modi: Hello
Niira Radia: Hi Manoj Hi
Manoj Modi: Haan
Niira Radia: Nothing, I had just sent you a email I had got from Senthil [Senthil Chengalvarayan of Forbes]. I just wanted to know…
MM interjects: Is Senthil relevant in this? It’s Indrajit [Indrajit Gupta of Forbes] naah?
Niira Radia: Senthil is being told by… uh …uh…what’s his name?
Manoj Modi: Is this relevant – Indrajit had sent you that bogus mail na?
Niira Radia: Exactly
Manoj Modi: So we want apology from Indrajit
Niira Radia: Nahi Nahi… apology toh publication mein aa rahi hai naa.. Apology publication mein aa rahi hai…
Manoj Modi: Publication kuchh nahi hotaa hai .. Mujhe 48 hours mein apology chaahiye from Indrajit
Niira Radia: No No… (stutters)
Manoj Modi: Who, who ever is the editor?
Niira Radia: (Interjects with) No No No… Listen listen listen.. Why Senthil is being sent to … apology will come from Indrajit only what Senthil has sent me a draft of the type of apology and of course giving his own perspective as to because Raghav (inaudible)
Manoj Modi: [interjects] Why is he sending it to you? They have officially received official communication from AS Dayal – they need to communicate to AS Dayal officially.
Niira Radia: I know
Manoj Modi: They will get official response.
Niira Radia: Manoj, I agree. That is why…
MM (interjects) I am taking it to criminal thing…I am not (gets breathless), I am going to ..I am.. I have already talked to criminal people here, police and everybody
Niira Radia: Hmmm…
Manoj Modi: I am going… as soon as I as I don’t receive officially in 48 hours, I am taking criminal charge and in that I have written to Raghav [Raghav Bahl, Forbes and CNBC head] also
Niira Radia: Hmmm…
Brief silence between them
Manoj Modi: You have not seen my full communication?
Niira Radia: I have read your .. read the … the .. .the (stutters… hesitates) and (inaudible)
MM (interjects): You are not supposed to share it with anybody, haan?
Niira Radia: I have not sent it to anyone.
Manoj Modi: No, don’t send and don’t share with anybody also
Niira Radia: No, I have not sent it to anyone. It is only lying with me.
Manoj Modi: Don’t even ..Don’t even discuss it with anybody.
Niira Radia: It’s not gone to anyone. Manoj, it is lying with me only.
Manoj Modi: What I am saying is – don’t even mention ..
NR (interjects): Not even to my own people – it’s lying with me.
Manoj Modi: That’s right…I just wanted you to know what all I have written to him.
Niira Radia: I saw that. I have read it. The point I am making is – the reason he sent it to me is because obviously because of the legal notice. He did not send it to me as a.. as a .. via me .. he didn’t do that. But he sent to me was this is what I want to send. I have told him I cannot comment on it.
Manoj Modi: Haaaaaaaaaaan…..
Niira Radia: I have already said to him – respond to the lawyers directly.
Manoj Modi: Correct… correct… that is the right thing…
Niira Radia: So what I am asking you is that – the reason I had to send it to you was this is what they’ve said
Manoj Modi: Haan.. .woh toh .. Raghav has already sent a mail to Mukesh.
Niira Radia: Hmmm
Manoj Modi: I have sent you a mail – in that he has mention nah?
Niira Radia: Haan (changes her mind).. You have only sent Atul Dayal’s notice. I have only got that.
Silence
Manoj Modi: Ohhhhh…. acchhaa acchhaa acchhaa
Niira Radia: From you I have only got Atul Dayal’s notice.
(Muffled sounds and silence between the two)
Niira Radia: I don’t have anything else, Manoj.
Silence
Manoj Modi: Then, I don’t know how I had forwarded one email….
Niira Radia: Nahi… nahi… it’s not…. (trails off).. I have got…
Manoj Modi: I had forwarded a mail, which I had written to … to … in fact, I had forwarded it two days ago about what I had written to Raghav.
Niira Radia: Nahi.. .woh nahi aaya mere paas… Manoj..
Manoj Modi: I had written to him the day I got … yours …this …
NR (completes sentence for him)… Indrajit’s reply.
Manoj Modi: Indrajit’s reply nah.
Niira Radia: Hmmm
Manoj Modi: At the same time I had.. I drafted a mail and send the mail to .. to… to Raghav
Niira Radia: Hmmm… I don’t have it..
Manoj Modi: If it is the attitude.. then it is fine..
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: And I told him that if you behave like this… I understand. And usme likh diyaa thaa maine ki – you … (pauses.. hesitates)… you have become completely corrupt organisation … all your reporters are corrupt … all your this thing (sic) is not acceptable. And… you are running a yellow journalism.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: Yeh sab likhaa hai maine Raghav ko
Niira Radia: (muffled response not audible) so yeah sirf mail tha…
Manoj Modi: Yes same. Jab maine bheja unko – immediately forward kiyaa thaa
Niira Radia: But Manoj mein apne mail ko dekh rahi hoon and I don’t know how I respond to my mail
Manoj Modi: I am surprised yaar
Niira Radia: I am telling you no… even now, I am sitting on my emails (sic) and I am just going through two days ago and right till the weekend and the only mail I have got from you is literally the Atul Dayal notice.
Manoj Modi: See on this subject I had sent you all the thing… I don’t know why…
Niira Radia: Nahi.. right till Friday.
Manoj Modi: Main desktop se kiya thaa. I will check on my desktop – whether I have sent you or I had sent or kept it in a … that… in a … draft file. I will have to check and I am not in my room…
Niira Radia: Okay…
Manoj Modi: I will check. I have that impression that jaise main unko bheja maine tumko forward kiya tha.a My recollection is …that is why …I am saying you don’t share it with anybody. Means.. nahii toh… otherwise… toh .. yeh… this you have filed ..this we have sent them.. so this toh…there is nothing secret about it.
Niira Radia: No… this is why sent …which is what I saw … trails off…
Manoj Modi: (interjects) No, no no… isme main likha thaa saying that your Indrajit is saying that is a source-based story and all that and I said forget about source-based … even factual story you don’t print for ADAG (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group) and you will do everything for us…
Niira Radia: Hmm… pause… Hmmm… Hmmm..what did he say to that?
Manoj Modi: Main toh criminal [case] karne wala hoon… uske paas.. mere paas. ..I want to .. even if I accept the apology I want to know their source and if they don’t give me the source I am going to file police complaint regarding the source.
Niira Radia: Hmmm
Manoj Modi: Hmmmm.. yeh kya chhodne wala hoon kya main.. it is concerning Mukesh personally and when Mukesh ko personally attack karegaa toh main Manoj Modi hoon.
Niira Radia: Hm
Manoj Modi: chhoRuunga nahi kisi ko
Niira Radia: Nahi, theek baat hai, Manoj…theek baat hai.. so everything is written. No, I have not got that email so … so..
Manoj Modi: I will check … and not today… I will not be able to forward .. I am not in my … my desk. I will check my desk – kyuun nahi gaya…I need to investigate. Actually kyaa huaa hogaa … I must have made the forward.. I mean ..I must have done forward to you and some call-wall must have come and then I must have stored it as saved draft or .. while taking the call I have not forwarded .. something.. one of these two things must have happened.
Niira Radia: Hmm.. Hmm.. Achhaa woh…
MM (interjects) I was under the impression that I have sent you and that is why I am saying don’t share … don’t share.. don’t share … otherwise…
Niira Radia: No, I meant Atul Dayal’s notice. I have got that.
Manoj Modi: Atul Dayal kaa toh official diyaa hai ..
Niira Radia: (speaks over him) It's lying with Senthil (?)
Manoj Modi: Woh toh bhej diyaa na … already.. woh toh pehle hi bhej diya main aur usme toh maine … bheja hai.. and after I sent, thereafter I also received it after that only… I read the draft of the notice then Atul Dayal finalised it and sent it.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: He forwarded me the next day.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: I sent it to you immediately as soon as I got it – I forwarded it to you. I forwarded it to you. I forwarded it to Raghu (or Guru, it’s unclear) also.
Niira Radia: Hmm…i have got … .I have only Atul Dayals… I mean I have only got that…
Manoj Modi: No, no.. and this legal notice … uske pehle .. I had sent to Raghav to tell such and such thing has happened … Indrajit Gupta’s reply and all that… all this nonsense is there… so.. (pauses)…. I am going to proceed now legally.
Niira Radia: Hmmm
Manoj Modi: He said, I am…my extreme apology and I will take him to task .. however, in order to, help me to put pressure you please proceed legally.
Niira Radia: Hmmm (long pause) — unko itni himmat nahi hai apne editor ko handle karne ki?
Manoj Modi: Suno, yeh mere ko aaya naa… bhej diya phir ..usko.. legal bhii aur uske saath bhii .. uske saath .. uska jawaab aayaa naah …uske baad bhi maine ….jawaab theek se diya
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: Hey, you are coming here, next week?
Niira Radia: Yes, I am here from.. I am there from Sunday.
Manoj Modi: Haan haan.. phir toh I will .. I will share with you everything. In fact, Sunday I am in … Delhi. No, not Sunday.. sorry, Friday.
Niira Radia: Sunil Mittal ka?
Manoj Modi: Sunil ke yahaan, haan.
Niira Radia: Hmm.. Hmm.. I need to talk to you… I met up with him. I haven’t met up with him after that. But I have been working on this matter.
Manoj Modi: Us din mil sakti hai nah? You are there. Friday you can meet me?
Niira Radia: Main aapko .. I will meet you in Delhi. But not at Sunil Mittal’s function. I am not going.
Manoj Modi: Not Sunil Mittal’s place yaar.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: Airport se mein jaaonga na yahaan… Taj mein .. toh Taj mein apun mil-lenge alag se
Niira Radia: Haan – you and I will meet then. That will be good.
Manoj Modi: Usme apne ko kya hai – we can spend whatever time is required between two of us..
Niira Radia: Okay.. I think that will be good on Friday. I am coming on Sunday … hmmm….I had a three-hour meeting with Economic Times today.
Manoj Modi: Hmm..
Niira Radia: Poor Rahul is literally on his knees again. But I need to brief you on that. Because I think there are a lot of issues going on and we have to examine everything holistically so.. today, even I had a frank discussion on everything including the interactions you’ve had. And he’s.. I don’t think they are not open to doing it … I think they are being cautious – is my reading today. I mean.. he was literally … a very very frank discussion – only him and me – I did not take anybody with me and neither did he bring any of his colleagues.
Manoj Modi: So…
Niira Radia: They are also examining.. aisaa nahii hai … lekin they are also under pressure.
Manoj Modi: Haan … theek hai .. theek hai.. dekhenge .. apun milte hai phir baat karte hai. We are not under any pressure whatsoever.
Niira Radia: Nahi… theek hai. Just one thing, Manoj… jo Monday ko presentation hai nah?
Manoj Modi: Haan
Niira Radia: Mukesh ke saath..
Manoj Modi: Haan
Niira Radia: You will be there na?
Manoj Modi: I will be there. Mukesh kaa… my being there is less important than as much as Mukesh being there. Mukesh has to clear everything.
Niira Radia: I know. I just need your help to clear that because we really need media engagement.
Manoj Modi: I understand but you have to be .. see this .. .you have to treat as if you are directly dealing with Mukesh. I will be sitting there and of course, I will be there in the whole presentation and everytime, Mukesh is there, I will be there.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: But between you and me, we can’t agree – just two of us – because this is concerning all the businesses and everything and all of those things that have to be cleared by Mukesh only.
Niira Radia: No, no.. I agree, I agree. I agree. So I am also going to be meeting Prasad on Tuesday and I will present both the presentations, which I am going to present to him also. This is MDA… MDA’s image – this is his presentation. So it’s very very important.
Manoj Modi: But you have to discuss everything. See, you can’t just discuss only MDA’s things – you have to discuss the entire – see whatever is the holistic approach – whatever you want to discuss na, the entire thing you need to get cleared by MDA
Niira Radia: Listen I have got all of them ready. Detail bhi ready – (inaudible)
Manoj Modi: Woh bhej dena pehle se… because you see, good that you are doing it on Monday then if you send it on Saturday.. Mukesh will read it on Sunday also.
Niira Radia: Ok – I will send all of them…
Manoj Modi: Hmmm.. no problem…
Niira Radia: Okay
MM.. And we will meet on Friday then.
Niira Radia: Okay. You will call me then and let me know what time nah?
Manoj Modi: Yes, I will most probably come by Jet flight.
Niira Radia: Hmm.. Hmm..
Manoj Modi: …And.. (pause)… coming…. straight going to Taj Palace mein uska function shaadi ka.
Niira Radia: Right ya..
Manoj Modi: Either we can… or… I don’t know how long this Taj Palace from airport is – may be half hour even?
Niira Radia: It’s about 20 minutes.
Manoj Modi: Haan… agar toh … we can meet in Taj Palace … just somewhere…
Niira Radia: What time do you land?
Manoj Modi: I’ll… I’ll tell you because I don’t know when … then (some name, not audible) my secretary will know. I am not aware.
Niira Radia: Let me know
Manoj Modi: Haan… because… (hesitates) in that case.. we can spend half hour and then I can go for the function. I will spend half hour there and just get lost.
Niira Radia: (laughs)… theek hai – taking a flight back, is it?
Manoj Modi: Yes, what else?
Niira Radia: Okay. Alright. (Laughs)
Manoj Modi: Un log kaa… apne ko kissii ka pachtaa nahii hai – khaanaa peena…
Niira Radia: Hmm…theek hai..
Manoj Modi: I will come home and have my dinner then
Niira Radia: (Laughs… MM joins in) That is a good way to be… (laughs some more) So that’s a good way to be like that.
Manoj Modi: Ya … toh phir kya apne mind mein phir koi clarity rehti hai – ki I have not had anyone else’s salt.
Niira Radia: Haan.. okay
Manoj Modi: Baraabar bola nah?
Niira Radia: Hmmm.. Hmm..
Manoj Modi: Ek hi aadmi ko apne ko protect karne kaa hai, woh hai Mukesh Ambani … baakii I don’t really care
Niira Radia: Hmm… Hmmm.. I agree. (giggles) I am so glad… I am glad so please help me so that I can build that image. Thank you.
Manoj Modi: Ya ya.. we will do. We are committed to build
Niira Radia: Thank you.
Manoj Modi: This Senthil piece – we don’t have to reply is it?
Niira Radia: You don’ have to reply. I am not going to reply to it. I am just … I have already told him on the phone … that you please send it to the lawyer. So in the morning, I will tell him again that you have 48 hours to respond. And I suggest you send it to the lawyer.
Manoj Modi: Ya, ya.. you say because then the Atul bhai will suggest whatever the changes required because this has been now given by Mukesh to Atul Dayal who is going to handle it ekdum sternly. I have not seen … that information I have sent to Raghav… I have not seen Mukesh in such anguish and pain in my whole life.
Niira Radia: Hmm..
Manoj Modi: And this … is ..and this is.. first time I have seen .. otherwise, Mukesh has never acted and proceeded criminally against anybody…
Niira Radia: Hmm
Manoj Modi: Even his sworn enemies. In this case, he has said ‘take firm action and to whatever extent possible’.
Niira Radia: Hmm… I agree with you, Manoj. Uske upar kuch karnaa padega because if i look at the apology which I have told Senthil... was reading it out to me on the phone itself, I told him your apology in itself is an apology because if you just look at it you are…
Manoj Modi: He will not accept such things.. in his actual words, the apology is a very meek apology and we are not going to accept such apology.
Niira Radia: I mean what is he saying… he says, we have just been told some of the facts in the column are inaccurate and we regret it. What are you talking – these are absolute lies … and you have to admit that you have carried lies. Nothing short of that. that is…
Manoj Modi: We are not going to accept such things nah…
Niira Radia: Hmm..
Manoj Modi: We are not going to accept -- we will proceed… we will file a libel suit … we will file criminal complaint because we have figured out how to file criminal complaint in this
Niira Radia: Defamation ho jaata hai.. doosra bhi bahut hai is mein
Manoj Modi: Defamation hai.. doosra bhi bahut hai is mein
Niira Radia: Hmm.. Is mein matlab -the other point of view? Who has given this information, naa?
Manoj Modi: No no.. is mein kyaa hai, kaun source hai hum immediately puuchhenge aur jo bhi uskaa investigation hoga – usmein police-volice aayegi … pakRenge logon ko
Niira Radia: Source kaa ek issue hai.. unko protection mil jaati hai.
Manoj Modi: Don’t worry, don’t worry. Protection nahi milta hai in this case. We will see nah, we will figure out. Is mein toh kitna bhi 10, 20, 50 crore kharchaa hogaa toh koi problem nahi hai
Niira Radia: Hmm … theek hai.. theek hai..I agree with you. I am in favour of killing this sort of nonsense, once and for all.
Manoj Modi: Ya
Niira Radia: Getting rid once for all because this is enough you know. This is exactly what I told Rahul Joshi also. Hmm… jo bhi hai.. negative nahi ikar rahe hai hamaare khilaaf .. you know.. woh sab… bandh karenge.
MM… Hmm… Hmm… woh toh theek hai. . isko toh theek se pilana hai mereko paani
Niira Radia: Haan
(Tape ends)
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Transcript by AM checked by Krishnakumar Sankaran and OL
