Ex-Union Home Minister and LS Speaker Shivraj Patil passes away
What's the story
Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his residence in Latur, Maharashtra on Friday morning. He was 91. Patil had been ailing for some time before his demise, per ANI. Born on October 12, 1935, in Chakur village of Latur district, he was a towering figure in Indian politics. His career spanned over four decades during which he held several key positions in Parliament and the Union government.
Political career
Patil's political journey and contributions
Patil was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress (INC) and served as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He entered national politics in 1980, winning a seat in the seventh Lok Sabha. He retained his Latur seat for seven consecutive terms until 2004. During his tenure from 1980 to 1990, he served on the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament and later chaired it.
Ministerial positions
Patil's ministerial roles and resignation
Over the years, Patil held several important portfolios as Minister of State in various ministries. These included Defense, Commerce, Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, Electronics, Space and Ocean Development among others. He was appointed Union Home Minister from 2004-2008. After the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008 he resigned taking moral responsibility for security lapses.
Later roles
Patil's tenure as Governor and family details
From 2010 to 2015, Patil was the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh. He also introduced the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award to honor exemplary parliamentary performance. A party leader stated that he was known for his dignified behavior and never engaged in personal attacks, either in public or in private. Patil is survived by his son Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana (a BJP leader), and two granddaughters.