Congress leader and ex-Home Minister Shivraj Patil passes away at 90

Patil breathed his last at his home earlier in the day. He had been ill for the past few days.

Shivraj Patil was born on October 12, 1935, in the village of Chakur in the Latur district, Maharashtra and was a towering figure in Indian politics, remembered for his long and distinguished career marked by several key responsibilities in Parliament, the Union government and state legislatures.

A senior leader of the Indian National Congress, he served as the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha and held numerous significant positions over more than four decades in public life.

Patil entered national politics in 1980 when he was first elected to the 7th Lok Sabha, and went on to retain the seat for seven consecutive terms until 2004.