Former Home Minister Shivraj Patil Passes Away, Breathes His Last at 90

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Senior Congress leader and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil passed away on Friday morning in Latur at the age of 90. He had been unwell for a long time and was under treatment at home. During his long political journey, he held several key positions including Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Union Minister. Patil was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times from the Latur constituency, making him a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics.

Born on 12 October 1935 in Chakur (Latur), Patil studied Ayurveda and Law before entering public life. His political career began in 1967 from the Latur Municipal Council. Under the governments of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, he served as Minister of State in important ministries such as Defence, Commerce, Science & Technology, Atomic Energy and Space.

From 1991 to 1996, he served as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, where he encouraged several modern initiatives including live telecast of House proceedings. Even after losing the 2004 election, he was appointed Union Home Minister, a post he resigned from after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Later, he served as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.