Staff Reporter
Lok Sabha today paid tributes to former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil, who passed away in Latur, Maharashtra, this morning.
When the House assembled at 11 AM, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informed the House about the demise of Shivraj Patil. Mr Birla said Shivraj Patil served as a Member of the House from Maharashtra’s Latur parliamentary constituency for seven consecutive terms. He said Shivraj Patil also held key responsibilities in the Union Government as Home Minister and served as the Governor of Punjab and Rajasthan.
Lok Sabha Speaker informed that during the tenure of Shivraj Patil, the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was instituted.
Both the Houses also paid tributes to the martyrs of the 13th December 2001 Parliament attack. Members in both the Houses also observed silence as a mark of respect to the brave security personnel.
In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla said that in 2001, the alert security personnel of Parliament foiled the nefarious attempts of terrorists by showing their exemplary courage and valour. He said that during the terrorist attack, eight security personnel belonging to the Parliament Security Service, Delhi Police, CRPF and one staff member of CPWD were martyred.
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman C P Radhakrishnan said that 13th December 2001 was a dark day in the history, when the very symbol of India’s democracy was targeted by terrorists to destroy the foundation of the country. He added that during the attack, the nation lost several brave hearts who stood unflinchingly between the attackers and the temple of democracy.
The Chairman said, it is the sacred responsibility of the members and the countrymen to carry forward the democratic idea for which the security personnel laid down their lives.