Former Union Minister Shivraj Patil passes away

He was the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996.

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
SRINAGAR, DECEMBER 12 (STC): Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away at the age of 90 at his home town Latur in Maharashtra today morning, reported multiple media outlets quoting his family sources.
Patil, 90, passed away at his residence ‘Devghar’ after a brief illness, family sources said, adding that his funeral is expected to be held on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Patil. ‘Saddened’ by Patil’s passing,the Prime Minister said, “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. 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,” he said in a post on X.
Born on October 12, 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.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed condolences on Patil’s passing. “The news of the demise of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Shri Shivraj Patil ji is extremely heartbreaking and an irreparable loss for the party,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
“His dedication to public service and his contributions to the nation will always be remembered,” Gandhi added.
(Straight Talk Communications I Inputs from news agencies)