Former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader RR Patil passes away

Former Maharashtra Home Minister and senior NCP leader RR Patil passed away on Monday in Mumbai.

57-year-old Patil, who was undergoing treatment for oral cancer breathed his last at Lilavati Hospital. The NCP leader, a six-term MLA from Tasgaon in Sangli district, is survived by his mother, wife, and two daughters.

Earlier, Patil had undergone a surgery at Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai.

Party leaders Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Sunil Tatkare, Chhagan Bhujbal had visited him in the Lilavati hospital.

Patil was a prominent NCP leader. He was born on August 16, 1957, at Anjani village of Sangli district's Tasgaon town. He was popularly know as 'Aaba'. He was also the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and represented Tasgaon constituency since 1990.

Patil was elected to the Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1990 and appointed Rural Development Minister in the Congress-NCP government in 1999. He was allotted the important

Home portfolio in 2003 after the then Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who held it, resigned in the wake of allegations of his involvement in the Telgi scam. He was made Deputy Chief Minister in 2004.

He had to step down as Home Minister after his remarks made in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks that "small incidents do happen in big cities" triggered an outrage.

Patil was appointed Home Minister for a second time in 2009 after the Congress-NCP combine retained power in the state. He was also the man behind the controversial decision to ban dance bars in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister's official handle tweeted, "My thoughts are with Shri RR Patil's family. Am saddened to know of his demise, which leaves a void in Maharashtra politics."

My thoughts are with Shri RR Patil's family.Am saddened to know of his demise, which leaves a void in Maharashtra politics: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 16, 2015