Veteran Congressman Shivraj Patil, who served as the Lok Sabha Speaker and also served as Union Home Minister, passed away at his hometown Latur in Maharashtra on Friday morning. Patil, 90, passed away at his residence ‘Devghar’ after a brief illness, as per family members, adding that his funeral will be held on Saturday.
He is survived by his son, Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana, who unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls last year on a BJP ticket against Congress’s Amit Deshmukh from Latur city, and two granddaughters.
President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and many others offered condolences and paid tributes to Patil.
Patil remained a Congress and Nehru-Gandhi family loyalist till his last days and held several key constitutional and ministerial posts during a public life spanning more than five decades. The veteran politician faced severe public and media backlash as Union Home Minister in 2008 when he was seen in three different sets of clothes on the night of November 26 when Mumbai was facing unprecedented attacks from ten heavily-armed Pakistan-trained terrorists.
Defending himself over the criticism, he had said people should criticise policy, not clothes. The sheer scale of the Mumbai attacks weighed heavily on Patil’s political career and made his position in the Union Cabinet virtually untenable, leading to his resignation on November 30, 2008.
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 key portfolios in the Union Cabinet, including Home, Defence, Commerce, and Science and Technology. Patil was the Governor of Punjab and also served as Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.
In 2022, speaking at a book launch, he courted controversy for claiming that the concept of “jihad” was present not just in Islam but also in the Bhagavad Gita and Christianity. In March 2025, he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi with his family. Calling Patil a distinguished parliamentarian and statesman, Fadnavis said his demise was deeply saddening.
As Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Patil initiated and supported several innovative parliamentary practices, earning respect across the political spectrum. Sharad Pawar said Patil played a significant role in the politics of both Maharashtra and the nation, harmoniously blending the Congress ideology with his unwavering commitment to resolving people’s issues.
“In every position he held, his work consistently reflected justice for the common man,” said the NCP (SP) chief. Pawar said he pushed for modernisation and computerisation of the House. “The Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was also started during his tenure,” said Pawar in a statement.
Patil was also known for his vast reading, meticulous study, and articulate presentation. His command over Marathi, English, and Hindi, along with his exceptional grasp of constitutional matters, made him a much-respected parliamentarian of his time.
