Shinde calls Pawar his 'political guru'

Solapur: Dismissing reports that Union Minister Sharad Pawar had opposed him becoming Leader of the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said on Sunday that Pawar was his "political guru" and had always helped him in his political career.

"Pawar is not a person with a small heart. How can he crush a plant that he has nurtured? He has not opposed my name for the post of Leader of the House. In fact, he rang me up twice to congratulate me, saying it is a Congress party matter and that he had nothing to do with it," he said.

He said though the Pune explosions were of low intensity, his department has taken it very seriously and is looking at it from all angles to trace any foreign hand.