Seeking to silence the whispers about her relationship with former Bharatiya Janata Party ideologue Govindacharya, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday said though he had proposed to her in 1991, he later considered her his 'guru' after she took 'sanyas'.

She also disclosed that Govindacharya was also offering 'valuable' suggestions to her on running the government.

"Advaniji had told me that Govindji wanted to marry me and the idea was not welcomed by my elder brother Swamiprasad Lodhi," Bharti said at a function organised to release a book  by Jitendra Bajaj -- Sanatan Bharat, Jagrat Bharat in Bhopal.

"After a first look at Govindji, my brother was disappointed. but I asked him to ask Advaniji about his
(Govindacharya's) qualities," she said. "However, after I took sanyas on November 17, 1992, Govindacharya touched my feet and called me his guru."

About one and half years ago, Bharti said she had heard about Govindacharya losing his vehicle and his house was "snatched" and said, "I approached him and brought him to my place, informing every party dignitary."

"To meet Govindacharya, I don't have to go to Kedarnath," she said, revealing that he comes often to her residence in Bhopal and she goes to Delhi to meet him.

She said on her suggestion, Govindacharya went for 'tapasya' for six months at Varanasi and now has been offering valuable suggestions for running the government.

Bharti said Govindacharya's words have always kept her close to the poor people whom she represents.

She said every dignitary who had "made her" was present at today's book release function, pointing to Lodhi, Laxminarayan Naik, Anil Dave, Kaptan Singh Solanki and former prime minister Chandrashekhar among others.