Shivraj Patil is no more

Veteran Congressman from Maharashtra, exUnion home minister and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha Shivraj Patil passed away at his home town Latur on Friday morning after a brief illness his family sources said.

- FPJ News Service

He was 90. He is survived by his son Sailesh Patil, daughter-in-law Archana and two grand daughters.The funeral will be held at Latur on Saturday. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others condoled the death.

Always impeccably dressed, Patil was a hardcore loyalist of the Gandhi dynasty because of which he was given the sensitive post of Union home minister. He commenced his political career as president of the Latur municipality from 1966 and 1970 and was later elected twice to the state assembly where he was elected first as the deputy Speaker and later the Speaker.