Former Union home minister Shivraj Patil passes away at 90 | India News

NEW DELHI: Veteran Congress leader and former Union home minister Shivraj Patil passed away at his home in Latur, Maharashtra. He was 90. Family members said he passed away on Friday after a brief illness, news agency PTI reported. He is survived by his son Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana, who is a BJP leader, and two granddaughters.Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled Patil’s passing, lauding him as a leader ‘passionate about contributing to the welfare of society.’“Saddened by the passing of Shri Shivraj Patil Ji. He was an experienced leader, having served as MLA, MP, Union Minister, Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly as well as the Lok Sabha during his long years in public life,” PM Modi wrote on X.“He was passionate about contributing to the welfare of society. I have had many interactions with him over the years, the most recent one being when he came to my residence a few months ago. My thoughts are with his family in this sad hour. Om Shanti,” the post added.Born on October 12, 1935 in Chakur village in Maharashtra’s Latur district, Patil rose from local politics to become one of the country’s most experienced parliamentarians. He began his public life as the municipal council chief of Latur before serving two terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly between 1972 and 1979. During this period, he held key responsibilities, including Deputy Minister for Law and Judiciary, Irrigation and Protocol, and later Deputy Speaker and Speaker of the state Assembly.Patil entered national politics in 1980, winning the Latur Lok Sabha seat for the first time. He went on to retain the constituency for seven consecutive terms until 2004. His early parliamentary years saw him serve on the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, eventually becoming its chairperson. Over the decades, he held a wide range of portfolios as Minister of State, working across Defence, Commerce, Science and Technology, Electronics, Space, Ocean Development, Personnel and Training, Civil Aviation, Tourism and several other ministries.He served as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996 and later became Union Home Minister in the UPA government from 2004 to 2008. He resigned after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, taking moral responsibility for the security failures. From 2010 to 2015, he served as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.His autobiography, Odyssey of My Life, chronicled his long journey through Indian public life.