"This is a very sad thing, " says Sonia Gandhi on demise of former Union Minister Shivraj Patil

New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday expressed sorrow over the demise of former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader Shivraj Patil, calling it "a very sad thing."
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also expressed condolences and support to the family of the late Congress leader Shivraj Patil following his death at the age of 90.
Speaking to ANI, Gogoi said, "It is unfortunate news. He left a deep mark on Indian politics. We express our sympathies to his family."
Extending condolences, BJP MP Arun Govil called Shivraj Patil a "thorough gentleman". "He had a long career and great experience. He contributed a lot to Indian politics and to the country. We will miss him," Govil told ANI.
Meanwhile, leader of Opposition Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, today chaired a meeting of Lok Sabha MPs of his party. The meeting was held to review the performance of the Congress MPs in the winter session so far. The Congress has 99 MPs in the Lower House of Parliament.
K Suresh, a Senior Congress leader, said the meeting was a regular one with the LOP and that the party MPs had passed a condolence motion honouring the late Congress leader Shivraj Patil.
" A condolence resolution was passed in the meeting of MPs for Shivraj Pati,l who was one of the tallest leaders of the Congress party at the state and central level. He served as Home Minister, Speaker and Governor, so his passing is a great loss for the party," K Suresh said.
"This is a regular meeting where the MPs are interacting with the LoP. There are just a few days to go for the Winter session to end, so the LoP interacted with the MPs. The performance of the Congress MPs was discussed as well as the session that has progressed so far," he added.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for 15 minutes as no cabinet minister was present. When the House met at 11.15 am, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed regret that no minister was present. He said he was informed that no minister was present. Rijiju said that he had to go to the other House for condolences concerning the demise of former Speaker Shivraj Patil.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said Shivraj Patil was also a member of the Rajya Sabha and that the House should pay tributes. Kiren Rijiju agreed, noting that since the death occurred this morning, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat may be taking some time.
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.
In addition to his role as an MP, he was appointed Union Minister of Home Affairs (2004-2008). Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, he gave his resignation on November 30, 2008, taking moral responsibility for the security lapses.
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.
He is also credited with introducing the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award, a recognition aimed at honouring exemplary parliamentary performance. (ANI)