Latur, 12 Dec

Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his home town Latur in Maharashtra on Friday morning, family sources said.

Patil, 90, passed away at his residence ‘Devghar’ after a brief illness, they said, adding that his funeral is expected to be held on Saturday.

He is survived by his son Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls last year on a BJP ticket against Congress’ Amit Deshmukh from Latur city, and two granddaughters.

Born on 12 October, 1935, Patil began his political journey as the president of Latur municipality between 1966 and 1970 and was subsequently elected as an MLA for two terms. He held key posts in the Maharashtra Assembly, including Deputy Speaker and Speaker, between 1977 and 1979.

He then went on to win the Latur Lok Sabha seat seven times and was the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He lost to BJP’s Rupatai Patil Nilangekar in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He was also a Rajya Sabha member.

The Congress leader held several Union portfolios, including Defence, Commerce, and Science and Technology. Patil was the Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008, when he resigned after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

He was the Governor of Punjab and also served as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.

Known for his dignified conduct, he never indulged in personal attacks, neither in public speeches nor in private conversations, said a party leader.

Patil was also known for his vast reading, meticulous study, and articulate presentation. His command over Marathi, English, and Hindi, along with his exceptional grasp of constitutional matters, made him a much-respected parliamentarian of his time, added the party leader.