In a development that may have far-reaching political consequences, Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Bandra East of Mumbai on Saturday evening. Confirming the incident, Mumbai Police Special Commissioner Deven Bharti told journalists that one man from Haryana and another one from Uttar Pradesh have been arrested.
After injuries, the NCP leader and was admitted to the Lilavati hospital. Mumbai Police and Crime Branch have launched a hunt for the shooters, who escaped from the scene of the crime. Siddiqui was close to Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Sanjay Dutt. He was known for his annual iftar parties.
NCP Slams Maharashtra Govt
Reacting to the killing of Siddiqui, NCP(SCP) leader and National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto called it “very disturbing”. He told journalists, “The news about Baba Siddique is very disturbing. The concern here is that the law and order situation in Maharashtra is going really down and it has failed.”
Slamming the Maharashtra government, he said, “The BJP-led Mahayuti needs to answer to the people of Maharashtra why they have failed to bring law & order under control. People are taking the law into their own hands and feel free to do what they want because there is no fear of the law. The Home Department led by Devendra Fadnavis seems to have failed…”
BJP MP Kirit Somaiya Demands Probe
Expressing his concerns, BJP MP Kirit Somaiya urged the government to make a special team and probe the matter thoroughly. He said, “Baba Siddique’s murder is a matter of concern. The government should make a special team and investigate this. It seems to be a huge conspiracy. Strict action should be taken…”
Condoling the death of the NCP leader, Maharashtra Congress took to social media platform X to say that it is deeply saddened. It wrote in a post, “The Mumbai Congress is deeply saddened by the passing of Baba Siddique Ji. His tireless service to the people and his dedication to the community will forever be remembered. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
A seasoned politician Baba Siddiqui was elected as a corporator of the Mumbai civic body from the Congress for two terms, in 1992 and 1997. He was elected as an MLA from the Bandra West Assembly constituency as the Congress candidate in 1999 and retained the seat in the 2004 and 2009 polls.
