Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat
{{Short description|First Gentleman of India and Former First Gentleman of Rajasthan (died 2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat
| image = Shri Devisingh Shekhawat.jpg
| caption = Shekhawat in 2010
| office = First Gentleman of India
| term_label = In office
| term_start = 25 July 2007
| term_end = 25 July 2012
| president = Pratibha Patil
| predecessor = Usha Narayanan
| successor = Suvra Mukherjee
| spouse = {{Marriage|Pratibha Patil|1965}}
| children = 2
| citizenship = Indian
| office2 = First Gentleman of Rajasthan
| termstart2 = 8 November 2004
| termend2 = 23 June 2007
| governor2 = Pratibha Patil
| predecessor2 = Raj Khurana
| successor2 = Jamila Kidwai
| office3 = Member of the
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
| termstart3 = 1985
| termend3 = 1990
| predecessor3 = Surendra Chhatrapal Bhuyar
| successor3 = Jagdish Motilal Gupta
| constituency3 = Amravati
| birth_date = {{circa|1934}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2023|2|24|1934}}
| death_place = Pune, Maharashtra, India
}}
Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat ({{circa|1934}} – 24 February 2023) was an Indian agriculturist and politician who served as the first gentleman of India as the husband of President Pratibha Patil. He also served as the first gentleman of Rajasthan and also as mayor of Amravati. He was a member of the Indian National Congress.
Early life
Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, who was then a lecturer in chemistry,{{cite news |title=I had some misgivings about women in politics |date=27 December 2009 |work=The Sunday Indian |url=http://www.thesundayindian.com/article_print.php?article_id=8634 |access-date=14 January 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304213008/http://www.thesundayindian.com/article_print.php?article_id=8634 |url-status=dead}} married Pratibha Patil on 7 July 1965. The couple had a daughter and a son, Raosaheb Shekhawat, who is also a politician.{{cite web |title=Ex Governor of Rajasthan |url=http://rajassembly.nic.in/PratibhaPatil.htm |publisher=Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Secretariate |access-date=11 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804130808/http://rajassembly.nic.in/PratibhaPatil.htm |archive-date=4 August 2013}}{{cite news |title=In Amravati, it's about taking revenge for 2009 polls |first=Kunal |last=Purohit |work=Hindustan Times |date=11 October 2014 |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/in-amravati-it-s-about-taking-revenge-for-2009-polls/story-CaoFU6bvG2TS6tYEUdCGTJ.html |access-date=11 January 2016}}
Shekhawat was awarded a PhD from the University of Mumbai in 1972. Prior to his wife's elevation to her presidential role, he had been principal of a college operated by his wife's Vidya Bharati Shikshan Sanstha foundation and also a First Mayor of Amravati (1991–1992). Like his wife, he was a member of the Indian National Congress party.{{cite news |title=Patil's husband to be occasional guest at Rashtrapati Bhavan |work=DNA |agency=PTI |date=24 July 2007 |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-patil-s-husband-to-be-occasional-guest-at-rashtrapati-bhavan-1111584 |access-date=11 January 2016}}{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pratibha-Patils-Resume/articleshow/2218456.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818230005/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2007-07-19/india/27975570_1_jalgaon-maharashtra-assembly-political-party |url-status=live |archive-date=18 August 2013 |title=Pratibha Patil's Resume |date=19 July 2007 |work=The Times of India |access-date=11 January 2016}} He was also an agriculturalist and a former member of the Legislative Assembly, being elected for the period 1985–1990 from the Amravati constituency in the Maharashtra state legislature.{{cite news |work=The Indian Express |title=Politician, farmer, husband of the next President? |first=Dhaval |last=Kulkarni |date=15 June 2007 |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/politician-farmer-husband-of-the-next-president-/33751/ |access-date=11 January 2016}}{{cite web |title=State Elections of Maharashtra, 1985 |publisher=Election Commission of India |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/SE_1985/Statistical%20Report%20Maharashtra%201985.pdf |page=8 |access-date=11 January 2015}} He lost his deposit in the 1995 contest for that constituency.{{cite news |date=10 October 2009 |title=Shekhawat faces the heat in Amravati |work=The Hindu |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/shekhawat-faces-the-heat-in-amravati/article158622.ece |first=Rahi |last=Gaikwad |access-date=11 January 2016}}
Various accusations against Shekhawat and Patil emerged after the latter was nominated for the office of president.{{cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Muck_refuses_to_move_from_Pratibha_path/articleshow/2155230.cms |work=The Times of India |date=28 June 2007 |title=Muck refuses to move from Pratibha path |first1=Pradeep |last1=Thakur |first2=Dhananjay |last2=Mahapatra |access-date=11 January 2016}} Among these was the case of Kisan Dhage, a teacher in a school run by Vidya Prasarak Shikshan Mandal in Buldana district, who committed suicide in November 1998. He left a note saying that he was committing suicide because he was tired of the mental harassment caused by Shekhawat, who was chairman of the institution, and four others. When the police registered the case as "accidental death", Dhage's wife appealed to the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) in Jalgaon Jamod, a tehsil in Buldana district. The JMFC ordered the police to start criminal proceedings.{{cite news |work=DNA |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1106842 |date=29 June 2007 |title=Fresh Scandal Plagues Pratibha |access-date=11 January 2016}}{{cite news |url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/29/stories/2007062955211400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001011303/http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/29/stories/2007062955211400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 October 2007 |date=29 June 2007 |agency=PTI |work=The Hindu |title=Devisingh's plea to be heard on July 12|access-date=11 January 2016}} Shekhawat petitioned the courts seeking dismissal of charges of abetting Dhage's suicide. Two lower courts turned down this plea and by June 2007 the issue was pending in the Bombay High Court. A judge at that court dismissed the charges against Shekhawat in 2009 on the grounds that there was no proof of direct involvement, although one of his co-accused remained subject to the proceedings.{{cite news |title=High court relief for Prez's husband |first=Vaibhav |last=Ganjapure |date=1 February 2009 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/High-court-relief-for-Prezs-husband/articleshow/4057945.cms |work=The Times of India |access-date=11 January 2016}}
In 2009, a court ruled that Shekhawat had colluded with five relatives and local officials to illegally transfer into his ownership {{convert|2.5|acre|ha}} of land in Chandrapur belonging to a Dalit farmer. This was one of several allegations of corruption and irregularities to emerge during Patil's presidency in relation to her and her family.{{cite news |work=The Economic Times |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-02-11/news/28491475_1_land-grabber-farmer-loan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305083644/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-02-11/news/28491475_1_land-grabber-farmer-loan |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 March 2016 |title=Her Excellency's husband a land grabber? |date=11 February 2010 |access-date=11 January 2016}}
First Gentleman of Rajasthan (2004–2007)
Upon Shekhawat's wife's succession as governor of Rajasthan, he moved into Raj Bhavan, Jaipur succeeding as the first gentleman of Rajasthan for 3 years.
First Gentleman of India (2007–2012)
File:Barack and Michelle Obama are greeted by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.jpg and First Lady Michelle Obama are greeted by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and First Gentleman Devisingh shekawat.]]
On 25 July 2007 Shekhawat became the first first gentleman of India upon his wife's succession as the twelfth — and first woman — President of India for a full five-year term.
Death
Shekhawat died on 24 February 2023 at the age of 89.[https://marathi.hindustantimes.com/amp/maharashtra/india-former-president-pratibha-patil-s-husband-devisingh-shekhawat-passes-away-141677217802212.html Devisingh Shekhawat: माजी राष्ट्रपती प्रतिभाताई पाटील यांचे पती देवीसिंह शेखावत यांचं निधन] {{in lang|mr}}
References
{{commons category|Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat}}
{{reflist|1}}
External links
- {{cite news |title=Embarrassing Choice: Scandals and mud-slinging have turned the presidential polls into an unseemly affair |first1=Prerana |last1=Thakurdesai |first2=Priya |last2=Sahgal |date=9 July 2007 |work=India Today |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/patil-the-outstanding-choice-for-presidentship/1/155553.html |access-date=11 January 2016}}
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{{s-vac|last=Usha Narayanan}}
{{s-ttl|title=First Gentleman of India|years=2007–2012}}
{{s-aft|after=Suvra Mukherjee}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Shekhawat, Devisingh Ransingh}}
Category:Year of birth missing
Category:Maharashtra MLAs 1985–1990
Category:First ladies and gentlemen of India
Category:Mayors of places in Maharashtra
Category:Corruption in Maharashtra