Sushilkumar Shinde given warm farewell at Home Ministry

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was today given a warm send-off by Home Ministry officials at a special function here. Shinde, who cleared several pending files during the day, interacted with senior officials and thanked them for their cooperation and help during his tenure.

The farewell was organised a day before the results of the Lok Sabha polls and attended by all joint secretaries and other senior officers. Shinde, who shared snacks with the officials, said he would cherish his tenure as Home Minister for the rest of his life.

Shinde, 72, is unlikely to attend office tomorrow and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will tender the resignation of his council ministers on Saturday. Shinde took the charge of Home Ministry on August 1, 2012 after his predecessor P Chidambaram moved to the Finance Ministry. During Shinde's tenure, the Home Ministry piloted a tough anti-rape law in the wake of December 2012 gang rape of a girl in Delhi.

The 2008 Mumbai terror attack case convict and LeT terrorist Ajmal Kasab and 2001 Parliament attack case convict Afzal Guru were hanged during Shinde's tenure. Before taking charge of the Home Ministry, Shinde was Power Minister in UPA government.