Shivraj Patil: Cong loyalist, respected Speaker who faced flak during 26/11 over attire changes

MUMBAI: (Dec 12) Congress veteran and former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil donned many hats during his decades-long political career and was a prominent figure in Maharashtra and national politics, but had to resign as Union Home Minister after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Patil (90), who passed away on Friday at his residence in Latur district of Maharashtra after a brief illness, 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.