Shivraj Patil’s last rites held with State honours in Latur

The last rites of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Shivraj Patil were performed with full state honours in Latur on Saturday. Leaders across parties attended the funeral, held as per Lingayat traditions, honouring his decades-long public service

Latur: The last rites of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Shivraj Patil were performed with full state honours in his home district, Latur, in Maharashtra on Saturday, with many top leaders in attendance.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, and Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre were among those present.

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A prominent member of the Lingayat community, Patil was buried in his farm at Varvanti village, six km from Latur, in a seated, meditative posture. This Lingayat ritual stems from their belief that the soul of the deceased immediately unites with Shiva and is not subject to the cycle of rebirth, thus making the cremation rites to release the soul from the body unnecessary.

Patil, 90, passed away on Friday at Latur following a brief illness. In a political career spanning half a century, he held several positions in the Central government, including Speaker of the Lok Sabha and several ministries.

Birla laid a wreath on Patil’s mortal remains. Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal and Lok Sabha member from Latur, Shivaji Kolge, were present. Before the last rites, Patil was accorded a gun salute. Birla said Patil served the country for seven decades through his contributions to social and political life.

“He represented various posts. As a Lok Sabha Speaker, he gave a new face to its legacy. He made several changes, including Parliamentary committees, which elevated the prestige of Lok Sabha to a new height. His service and contribution to social and political fields will always be remembered by the nation”, he added.

Recalling his association with the late leader, Mallikarjun Kharge said he met Patil for the first time in 1967 when he became an MLA. “We shared a close relationship, and we kept meeting each other. He was a knowledgeable man with good character who always thought and worked for the country. He has also done good work in Marathwada with all his energy”, he added.

Seth said India has lost a polite leader and a strong pillar of democracy. “He dedicated himself to India as a true son”. Minister Khandre described Patil’s death as a loss to the nation.

“He was an artist, poet, and thinker. He lived his life like a saint. He has also contributed to social, financial, religious, and educational verticals”, he added. Patil began his career as a member of the Latur Municipal Corporation in 1967 and was the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of Chandigarh from 2010 to 2015.

In between, he was a member of the Maharashtra legislative assembly from Latur for two terms between 1972 and 1980. He was the Lok Sabha member from Latur constituency for seven consecutive terms, winning the elections in 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999.

First inducted into the Indira Gandhi-led government as Minister of State for Defence (1980–82), Patil was given independent charge of the Commerce Ministry (1982–83), from where he was shifted to Science and Technology, Atomic Energy, Electronics, Space, and Ocean Development (1983–84). During the Rajiv Gandhi-led government, he also took charge as Minister for Personnel, Defence Production, Civil Aviation, and Tourism.

Patil was trusted with the Union Home Ministry in 2004, but resigned on November 30, 2008, taking moral responsibility for the security lapses during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

In March 1979, there were reports that Gandhian leader Jayaprakash Narayan, admitted to a hospital in Mumbai, had passed away. Many legislatures and even the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in Parliament offered their condolences based on these unverified reports.

However, Shivraj Patil, then Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly, insisted on official confirmation. He adjourned the House and verified the reports by contacting the doctors treating Narayan at the hospital. The doctors confirmed that Narayan was still alive.

The Maharashtra assembly then passed a resolution wishing Narayan a long life. He died several months later, in October 1979.