Kolkata: The entire Birla family today (July 14, 2004) declared that they would not allow an 'outsider' to take the Birla property and they have decided to challenge the Will of Priyamvada Birla by which assets worth more than Rs 5,000 crore of the M P Birla group went to Rajendra S Lodha.

"As per law, the property of a person goes to the nearest relative. How can an outsider claim the Birla family property?" Basant Kumar Birla, the patriarch of the Birla family told reporters in Kolkata today.

Asked whether the Birlas were doubting the veracity of the Priyamvada Birla's Will, he said, "It is not the question of doubting veracity. It may be correct and it may be wrong, but we have to deal with it from legal point of view and for which steps are being taken."

Birla, who is grandfather of Kumarmangalam Birla, also said that almost the entire Birla family sat together and have decided to challenge the Will and for which family's legal firms have already been directed to take necessary action.

He said that the Will, which was opened by Lodha himself on Monday (July 12), had come as 'shock and surprise' for the family and the family was not going to accept it.

As per the Will, the entire assets of M P Birla group was given to Lodha by the late Priyamvada Birla, widow of Madhav Prasad Birla, who passed away childless on July 3.

Lodha was close to the clan for over the last two decades and was appointed co-chairman of the Group about five years ago.

Birla confirmed that the Will had been opened in front of members of Birla family on Monday but "We cannot allow an outsider to come and claim the Birla assets".

Emphasising that there was no difference of opinion in the family on the issue he said, "We are a completely homogeneous family and we are completely unanimous in our stand on this issue."

Though Kumarmangalam Birla, who heads the Aditya Birla Group, was not present during the opening of the Will and also at the subsequent Birla family meeting but he is very much with the family on the issue.

"He (Kumarmalgalam) is my grandson and he is very much with all of us," Birla said.

He further said that he along with his elder brother K K Birla, who is now the senior-most in the family, and G P Birla and other members of the family have decided on this course of action.

Since M P Birla and Priyamvada did not have any child, the property, according to family sources, should have gone to the young Yashovardhan Birla, who is the closest blood relation of M P Birla.

Yashovardhan is the son of MP's nephew, Ashoke Vardhan, who died in a plane crash. After that M P had taken Yashovardhan, then a minor, under his wings.

The family sources also confirmed that arrangements were on to challenge Priyamvada's Will in the Calcutta High Court in the next two to three days.