Senior NCP leader and ex-minister Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai; 2 suspects detained

CHENNAI: Baba Siddique of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party was shot dead outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office in Mumbai's Bandra West on Saturday (October 12) evening. He succumbed to the injuries at the Lilavati Hospital where he was rushed. He was 66.

Baba Ziauddin Siddique, or Baba Siddique as he is popularly known, was attacked by three unidentified assailants who fired six bullets at him, as per media reports.

The murder comes just as Maharashtra is gearing up for state assembly elections, which are likely to be held by mid-November.

Confirming the death of 3-time Bandra West MLA Siddique, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar told him two suspects were arrested. One of them is from Uttar Pradesh and the other from Haryana, while a third accused fled from the spot, the CM told TV channels.

Baba Siddique was with the Congress for 48 years before leaving the party in February this year to join the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. His son and Bandra East MLA Zeeshan was expelled from the Congress in August.

A prominent minority face of the Mumbai Congress, Siddique also served as a minister when the Congress-NCP coalition was in power.

During the peak of COVID-19 pandemic, Siddique had earned praise for arranging highly sought-after medicines for needy patients.

The politician is also known for his grand Iftar parties which are attended by top Bollywood stars. In 2013, he once acted as a bridge between two of Bollywood's biggest stars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan whose cold war came to a end after they hugged at Baba Siddique's iftar party.

In a condolence message on X, Ajit Pawar described the attack as extremely unfortunate and condemnable.

"I was shocked on learning that he died in this incident," Pawar said, adding that he had lost a good friend and colleague.

"We have lost a leader who fought for the minority community and championed secularism," he said, adding that a thorough probe would be conducted into the attack.

In a post on X, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said he was deeply shocked at the death of a "dear friend from my Youth Congress days".

NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar said it was worrying how the law and order situation has deteriorated in Maharashtra.

Former state home minister and NCP(SP) leader Anil Deshmukh as well as Congress' leader and LoP in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar slammed the Eknath Shinde government for the incident.

A leader with 'Y' category security getting shot dead this way was shocking, the two said.

(With inputs from PTI)