Former Union Minister And Senior Congress Leader Shivraj Patil Passes Away At 90

Latur: Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil passed away at his residence in Maharashtra's Latur on Friday at the age of 90. He had been ill for the past few days.

Visuals from his residence at Latur on Friday showed some leaders assembled there to pay their last respects. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences at the passing of Shivraj Patil. In a post on X, PM Modi said the veteran politician was passionate about contributing to the welfare of society. He shared that he had several interactions with Patil over the years, mentioning that the most recent one was when Patil came to his residence a few months back.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Shivraj Patil was “a seasoned leader, who served the country in various capacities and made effective contributions towards India’s progress.” 

In his condolence message, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the nation has lost a dignified, cultured, and scholarly personality in Indian politics, adding that Shivraj Patil had set a new benchmark in public service.

"He was a symbol of simplicity and moral values. Throughout his long political career, while holding various positions such as Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Union Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, and Governor of Punjab, he consistently upheld ethics in politics," Pawar's message stated.

"As Lok Sabha Speaker, he accelerated several initiatives such as modernisation of the Lok Sabha, computerisation, live telecast of parliamentary proceedings, and the establishment of the new library building. It was during his tenure that the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was instituted. He had deep knowledge of the Indian Constitution. His contributions to strengthening democracy will always be remembered," Pawar said.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur on the demise of the former Union Home Minister, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said that Shivraj Patil has seen a long political journey and his death is unfortunate for the country and the state.

NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule told reporters in Delhi that the deceased Congress veteran had worked together with her father and NCP founder Sharad Pawar as well, adding that the country has lost a “cultured leader.”

Expressing his condolences, Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said, "Shivraj Patil was a very disciplined leader. He was known for his mannerisms and was widely appreciated for his discipline."

Who Was Shivraj Patil?

Shivraj Patil who had served in the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi cabinets as Minister of Defence during the 1980s, was the Union Home Minister from 2004 to 2008, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. Patil also served as the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015. He is also credited with introducing the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award, a recognition aimed at honouring exemplary parliamentary performance.

According to reports, Patil had resigned from his post as the Union Home Minister on November 30, 2008, taking moral responsibility for the security lapse that led to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Born on October 12, 1935 in Chakur village of Latur, he attended Hyderabad's Osmania University and earned a degree in Science. Patil also studied law at Bombay University. Patil was from the Panchamsali Lingayat community and was a devout devotee of Sai Baba. He got married to Vijaya Patil in 1963 and has two children.

He ventured into local politics during 1967–69. According to some reports, it was believed that Keshavrao Sonawane and Manikrao Sonawane helped Patil to get his first break as legislator of Latur City of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 1972. 

Political Stints

Patil was remembered for distinguished career in Indian politics marked by several key responsibilities in Parliament, the Union government and state legislatures in over more than four decades in public life.

He served as the legislator of Latur City for two terms from 1972 to 1978, and from 1978 to 1980. During his tenure, he reportedly served as the Chairman of Public Undertakings Committee, Deputy Minister (Law and Judiciary, Irrigation, Protocol), Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly.

Patil was elected to the Lok Sabha from Latur in 1980. He went on to win seven successive Lok Sabha elections starting from 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998 and 1999. However, he lost to BJP candidate Rupatai Patil Nilangekar in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

During this period, he served on the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, later becoming its Chairperson. During his tenure, he had worked across multiple ministries, serving as Minister of State for a wide range of departments, including Defence, Commerce, Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, Electronics, Space and Ocean Development, Bio-Technology, Personnel and Training, Public Grievances and Pensions, Administrative Reforms, Defence Production, Civil Aviation, and Tourism.

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