‘Don’t touch my clothes’: When Shivraj Patil's wardrobe became talking point during 2008 Delhi blasts

File: Shivraj Patil addresses a press conference in Jammu in August 2008 (Reuters)

Veteran Congress leader and former Union home minister Shivraj Patil passed away in Maharashtra’s Latur on Friday morning at the age of 90.

Over a political career spanning five decades, Patil held several key positions. He served as a two-time MLA in the Maharashtra assembly. He then went on to win the Latur Lok Sabha seat seven times and was the 10th Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996. He also served as the Governor of Punjab from 2010 to 2015.

However, his stint as the Union home minister from 2004 to 2008 remained the most discussed and consequential. Patil resigned from the post following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, taking moral responsibility for the security lapses.

One particular controversy that plagued Patil as home minister emerged during the deadly 2008 Delhi bombings, sparking a national debate.

Patil was seen in three different sets of clothes on the night of September 13 when serial blasts in the national capital killed 22 people. Critics, including BJP leaders, accused Patil of paying more attention to his clothes than the tragedy.

The Congress leader later clapped back at the criticis, saying that they can “criticise his policies but not his clothes”.

"I live in a clean, neat manner. If I don't get angry with people; if I keep my cool when it is necessary to keep cool when such incidents happen, you find fault with me. And if they are doing it, do you expect me to reply to that kind of criticism against me," he said in an interview to a TV channel.

"I will leave it to the people to judge. You judge yourself. Is this the correct way of criticising a politician? You criticise his policies, you don't criticise his clothes,” he said.

But the criticism did not stop. It reached a point where the media even dubbed him as "serial dresser", in a sartorial dig at Patil.

The persistent criticism over a series of security failures, amplified by the clothing-change controversy, continued to dog Patil for some time. The 26/11 attacks became the final nail in the coffin, leading to his resignation on November 30.

Despite the media and opposition scrutiny he faced during his tenure, Patil leaves behind a towering legacy as a politician. He was known for his dignified conduct in public and never indulged in personal attacks, neither in public speeches nor in private conversations.

Patil was also known for his vast reading, meticulous study, and articulate presentation. His command over Marathi, English, and Hindi, along with his exceptional grasp of constitutional matters, made him a much-respected parliamentarian of his time, said a party leader while mouring the former home minister.