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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday remembered the former Union Minister Shivraj Patil as he paid final respects to him at his last rites ceremony.
Congress chief said that he worked with great precision and attention to detail throughout his political career. "We have come to Latur especially to pay our respects. We have had a long association with Shivraj Patil. As a senior leader, we always held him in high regard. He was a leader who worked with great attention to detail," he said. Congress President Kharge emphasised that Patil has a very clean image in politics, which is extremely rare, calling him "a special person". Shivraj Patil's last rites were performed with state honours in Latur. He breathed his last at his hometown residence, 'Devghar', after battling illness for the past few days. He is remembered through his family, including his son, Shailesh Patil, daughter-in-law, Archana, and two granddaughters. Patil has served under various Prime Ministers, beginning in 1980, when he was appointed Minister of State for Defence in the Indira Gandhi-led cabinet. During his tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker, he also looked to push for initiatives which ensure information dissemination to MPs through computerisation. He is also known to have taken responsibility for security lapses which led to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He gave his resignation on November 30, 2008, following heavy criticism. Between 2010 and 2015, Patil served as the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, further extending his contribution to public administration. A towering figure in politics, Shivraj Patil was born on October 12, 1935, in Chakur village in Maharashtra's Latur district. Several key responsibilities in Parliament have marked his political career, including the Union government and state legislatures. (ANI)
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