Mumbai, Feb 16 (IANS) Former Maharashtra deputy chief minister Raosaheb Ramrao Patil, who was home minister during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, passed away Monday evening after a three-month-long battle with cancer, a party official said. He was 57.
Patil, of the Nationalist Congress Party, is survived by his mother, wife and two daughers. He breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital, Bandra where he had been undergoing chemotherapy for the past few weeks and put on life-support systems early Monday.
NCP state spokesperson Nawab Malik said Patil's body will be kept in state at the party headquarters Monday evening and later taken to his native village Anjani in Tasgaon area of Sangli district in south-west Maharashtra.
The last rites will be performed Tuesday afternoon in Tasgaon where Patil was born, grew, harboured his political roots and was elected six times to the Maharashtra legislature.
According to official sources, Patil will be accorded a state funeral and the state government has declared a day of state mourning.
An icon for his clean and uncorrupt image besides easy access to the masses and party activists, Patil, a lawyer by profession, was among the most trusted advisors of NCP president Sharad Pawar who supported him through all thick and thin.
"My life is influenced by the late Yashwantrao Chavan, the late Vasantrao Patil and my inspiration is Sharad Pawar. Under his able guidance, I am trying to inculcate fearlessness and faith in people of Maharashtra through my police force," Patil said a few years ago.
Patil started as a young politician in his home district and was elected to the Sangli Zilla Parishad from 1979-1990.
Since his maiden election on a Congress ticket to the assembly in 1990, Patil first became a NCP minister in the Congress-NCP government with the important rural development portfolio.
In 2003, he was given the critical home department following the resignation of the then deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal after allegations were leveled against him in the Telgi fake stamp papers scam.
Impressed by his performance, the party bosses elevated as deputy chief minister the following year (2004).
However, Patil had to quit his post as home minister in 2008 following some off-the-cuff remarks after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks which created a furore in political circles.
Patil bounced back as home minister for a second term in 2009 and continued till the Congress-NCP coalition was voted out in the 2014 assembly elections.
He also served twice as NCP state president and among his important decisions as home minister were the controversial ban on the dance bars in Mumbai and Maharashtra in 2005 and the much-hailed insurance scheme for police personnel in the state and scheme to adopt tribal children to bring them to the social mainstream.
Pawar, state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, state president Manikrao Thakre and other top leaders cutting across party lines condoled the demise of Patil and paid glowing tributes to his memory.
UK major Cairn gets Income Tax demand
New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) Going contrary to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's promise that India will not levy any tax with retrospective effect, the Income Tax department on Wednesday imposed a
Coronavirus Update: 159 new cases of corona found in the country in 24 hours, decrease in active cases, know the latest updates
There is a continuous decrease in the cases of the corona virus in India. In the last 24 hours, 159 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in India. A day earlier on Sunday, 173 new cases of corona
Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra: PM Modi will talk to the beneficiaries today, Union Ministers-MPs will also participate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the beneficiaries of 'Vikas Bharat Sankalp Yatra' through video conference on Monday. The Prime Minister's Office has issued a statement giving this
Vijay demands CBI probe after 40 killed in Karur stampede, High Court hearing today
A stampede broke out at actor-turned-politician Vijay's rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, on Saturday. The death toll has reached 40, with over 60 injured. Vijay's rally has proven fatal for many. This
Taliban in Nagpur: Taliban terrorist was living in the city by changing the name for 10 years, investigation agencies alert after pictures with LMG surfaced
After the occupation of Afghanistan by Taliban terrorists, a picture is becoming viral on social media these days. This picture is being told of Noor Mohammad alias Abdul Haq. It has been revealed
Court rejects Salman Khan's plea for adjournment
Mumbai, March 25 (IANS) A court here on Wednesday declined a plea by Bollywood actor Salman Khan to adjourn for three weeks the recording of his statement in the 2002 hit-and-run case, due to start
Yogi Adityanath: 'Mafia can no longer scare anyone in UP' CM Yogi said after Ateeq-Ashraf murder case
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath participated in the MoU signing program with Union Minister Piyush Goyal at Textile Park in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Russia, China, India, Iran, and Pakistan will hold talks on Afghanistan, Taliban will also be involved
Russia is going to invite the Taliban to participate in international talks on Afghanistan.
Nitish Kumar Bihar: BJP called CM Nitish dirty and Lalu's daughter wrote this with PM Modi's picture.
While speaking on girls' education and population control in both the Houses of the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said some things that cannot be written here. After this
Sachin Wajhe told ED - Deshmukh and Parab took Rs 40 crore bribe from 10 DCPs to stop the transfer
Sacked police officer Sachin Wajhe in his statement to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made sensational allegations against Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab and the then Home Minister
