Contrary to reports of strained relations between them, industrialist K.K. Modi on Tuesday extended financial support to son and suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, although he said the problems were not unexpected.
“I SMSed him not to resign. I told him you are facing problems but the whole family is behind you and you will overcome it,” K.K. Modi, 73, who lords over a Rs. 4,000 crore diversified business group with interests in tobacco to entertainment, told PTI over phone.
Firmly standing behind Lalit, who was pulled down by BCCI on mismanagement and impropriety charges, father Mr. Modi said that he was willing to give “more money” to start a new venture.
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“If Lalit wanted to create a franchise for the Modi group I am willing to give him more money than the BCCI gave him to start the IPL... If he (Lalit) can create (a venture) half as successful as IPL, every member of the Modi family will benefit,” he added.
Modi said that resigning would have meant admission of wrongdoings and claimed that his son had done nothing wrong.
“He (Lalit) has a 100 per cent strong case to defend himself. Such problems are not unexpected. If you are running a public game like the IPL, people are going to ask questions,” the Modi family patriarch said, but attributed the problems faced by Lalit to his flamboyant lifestyle.
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