Mumbai: Former Maharashtra minister and leader of Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, Baba Siddique, was shot dead allegedly by three unidentified assailants near the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, in Bandra East on Saturday evening.
Baba Siddique was injured after three unidentified men opened fire on him and was immediately rushed to the Lilavati hospital, where he succumbed during treatment.
Two assailants arrested
Mumbai Police has detained two persons who were involved in the murder case of Baba Siddique.
Sources said that the detained accused are from Hrayana and UP, respectively, and the involvement of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is under probe.
According to a police officer, two persons were detained from Andheri East soon after the shootout, and further investigations are underway by the Crime Branch.
Though the motives behind the killing of the influential and prominent minority community leader Siddique are not clear, it is tentatively suspected to be an outcome of some business rivalry.
A veteran Congress leader for decades and a close associate of the former Union Minister Sunil Dutt and his daughter Priya Dutt, Siddique had quit the party to throw his lot with AJit Pawar’s NCP in February, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Siddique was the MLA for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004 and 2009, and had also served as a Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and FDA from 2004–08.
For the past few months, even his son Zeeshan has been sitting on the fence and is expected to make his political preferences clear soon, ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections.
The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders have slammed the MahaYuti regime for the sensational killing of Siddique and demanded the resignation of the Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Condolences pour in
In a social media post, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar said the incident of firing on Siddiqui was "very unfortunate, condemnable and painful".
Condemning the attack, Pawar said the incident will be thoroughly investigated and strict action taken against the attackers.
He assured the masterminds behind the attack will be held accountable.
Pawar noted that Siddique’s death is a significant loss for the party, “We have lost a good leader who fought for the minority brothers and strived for pan-religious harmony”, added Pawar.
Agricultural minister Dhananjay Munde in his message posted on X stated that the news of the death of senior NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddiqui is "very shocking and sad".
"With the death of senior colleague Baba Siddiqui, the minority movement has lost a great leader. I pay my heartfelt tribute to Siddiqui, we all share in the sorrow of the Siddiqui family, may God give him the strength to bear this sorrow," he added.
On his social media handle X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "The tragic demise of Former Maharashtra Minister, Shri Baba Siddique is shocking beyond words."
"In this hour of grief, I offer my deepest condolences to his family, friends and supporters," he said.
He called for a 'thorough and transparent investigation' from the Maharashtra government.
"The culprits must be brought to book at the earliest. Accountability is paramount," he added.
"Shocked, stunned and outraged at the killing of Baba Siddique ji. Siddique ji served the people with dedication and worked hard to preserve communal harmony. His passing away is a massive loss to the people of Mumbai and Maharashtra," Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said in a post on X.
He said, "This incident is a serious indictment of the crumbling law and order situation in Maharashtra. Siddique ji had on multiple occasions intimated the authorities about the threats to his life and he suffered despite being under Y plus security."
"That this shooting took place on the road, in the middle of bustling markets, shows that criminals no longer fear the law in Maharashtra. Even leaders of the ruling alliance are not safe in the heart of its capital anymore. The ruling regime must answer -- when senior public figures aren’t safe, how will the ordinary citizens feel safe today?" he added.