Shivraj Patil laid to rest with state honours in Latur

The last rites of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Shivraj Patil were performed with full state honours at his native Varvanti village in Maharashtra’s Latur district on Saturday, with senior leaders from across parties paying their final respects.

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. Birla laid a wreath on Patil’s mortal remains, while a ceremonial gun salute was accorded before the final rites.

A prominent figure of the Lingayat community, Patil was buried at his farm in Varvanti, around 6 km from Latur, following traditional Lingayat customs. The ritual involves burial in a seated, meditative posture, reflecting the community’s belief that the soul merges directly with Shiva, rendering cremation unnecessary.

Patil (90) died on Friday after a brief illness. His political career, spanning nearly five decades, saw him occupy several key constitutional and ministerial positions at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

He began public life as a member of the Latur Municipal Corporation in 1967 and went on to serve two terms in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly between 1972 and 1980. He represented the Latur Lok Sabha constituency for seven consecutive terms, winning elections from 1980 to 1999. Between 2010 and 2015, he served as Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh.

At the Centre, Patil was first inducted into the Indira Gandhi government as Minister of State for defence in 1980, later holding independent charge of the Commerce Ministry. Over the years, he headed a wide range of portfolios, including science and technology, atomic energy, electronics, space, ocean development, personnel, defence production, civil aviation and tourism. He also served as Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Patil’s tenure as Union Home Minister from 2004 remains one of the most scrutinised phases of his career. He resigned on November 30, 2008, taking moral responsibility for security lapses following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, a decision that drew both criticism and respect across the political spectrum.

He was also remembered on Saturday for his insistence on parliamentary propriety during the Janata Party era. In March 1979, when unverified reports claimed that Gandhian leader Jayaprakash Narayan had died in a Mumbai hospital, Patil, then Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, refused to accept the information at face value. He adjourned the House, personally verified the facts with doctors treating Narayan, and only then reconvened proceedings. When it was confirmed that Narayan was alive, the Assembly passed a resolution wishing him a long life. Narayan died months later in October 1979.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal and Latur MP Shivaji Kolge were also present at the funeral, as leaders across party lines recalled Patil as a seasoned parliamentarian whose career blended administrative authority with a strong sense of institutional responsibility.