Rift with my sons is a media creation: Rahul Bajaj

MUMBAI: Bajaj Group patriarch Rahul Bajaj today said the so-called rift between him and his sons, especially Rajiv, is "created by the media."

"You media people created the so-called rift between me and my sons. My son Rajiv is a good businessman and is doing a good job at Bajaj Auto as the managing director. You people put those words into my mouth during an interview with a television channel," Bajaj retorted to a specific question from PTI on whether he still regrets his statement that he was hurt by his son's decision to discontinue production of the iconic Bajaj scooters.

"In fact, Rajiv was right in his decision to discontinue the scooters business by the end of next March. The fact is that we are not even selling 1,000 units a month. The market has changed and the demand is for gearless scooters today, but we are still stuck with the geared ones. So it was a good move," senior Bajaj told newsmen at the Indian Merchants Chamber here where he inaugurated a cabin named after his late uncle and freedom fighter Ramakrishna Bajaj.

Bajaj went on to say that, "I still agree to disagree with my sons on many matters. At the same time, I am happy that they are running the business in right direction."

Early December last year, Rajiv had announced that the 50-year-old scooter brand Hamara Bajaj, which over the years has become a generic name in the country, would become history from end-March 2011 and that the group would be concentrating on bikes from next April to accelerate growth in the bikes segment as part of the company's aim to become the world's biggest bike maker.