My resignation is in my pocket – What happened in the CWC meeting that forced Shivraj Patil to leave the chair of Home Minister?

India's former Home Minister Shivraj Patil has passed away. He was the Home Minister during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. He faced criticism after the attacks and resigned. This attack was a major blow to his political future.

Shivraj Patil, who was the Home Minister during India's 26/11 attacks, is no more. A major terrorist attack occurred in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra, between November 26 and 29, 2008. These attacks were not only a blow to the nation but also a major setback for Shivraj Patil's political career.

Shivraj Patil was the Union Home Minister at that time. He was targeted not only by opponents but also by leaders of his own party. He was eventually forced to resign. However, what happened before that was a more uncomfortable situation for him.

Many leaders wanted Shivraj Patil to no longer be the Home Minister

Even before the Mumbai attacks, many Congress leaders wanted Shivraj Patil to step down as Home Minister. However, no one was openly coming forward.

When a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was held on November 29 to discuss the Mumbai attacks, all the leaders who wished for this got a big opportunity.

Prior to this, there were bomb blasts in Delhi on September 13. Following this, terrorist incidents occurred in several cities across the country. In such a situation, a strong sentiment had built up against Shivraj Patil.

Patil was torn apart in a meeting that lasted three hours

In the meeting held on November 29, which lasted for about three hours, Patil was severely criticised. Stalwart leaders like P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal, Kamal Nath, and Karan Singh presented their views in the meeting. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi also did not defend Patil.

When it was Patil's turn, he tried to defend himself with some statistics. He said that the number of civilian casualties in terrorist incidents during the NDA's rule was higher than during our government. Along with this, he also said, "My resignation is in my pocket. The moment the Prime Minister or the party orders, I will submit my resignation."

Patil submitted his resignation

Upon Patil's offer, no leader, including Sonia Gandhi, said anything. At the same time, Defence Minister A K Antony also offered his resignation.

He said, "The Navy failed to prevent terrorists from arriving by sea; I want to resign, taking responsibility for this."

As soon as this offer came from him, many leaders came in his support. They said, "There is no need for your resignation." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also said that one should not think about such a step. The signal was clear for Patil. He sent his resignation the very next day.