NCP leader Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai, 2 arrested

Baba Siddique, former Maharashtra minister and a leader of Ajit Pawar’s NCP, was shot dead by three men in Mumbai on Saturday evening. The 66-year-old politician was shot in the stomach and chest. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital where he died of his injuries.
Two people have been arrested by the police in connection with the attack.
The incident occurred around 9.30 pm near Ram Mandir, close to the NCP leader’s office.
As Siddique was bursting firecrackers on the occasion of Dussehra, three men emerged from a vehicle, their faces covered with handkerchiefs. They opened fire with a 9.9 mm pistol, firing three rounds, one of which struck Siddiqui in the chest, causing him to collapse on the spot.
Bystanders rushed Siddique to the hospital.
Two people were later arrested; one belongs to Uttar Pradesh while the other is from Haryana.

An image of one of the two accused arrested in the killing of Baba Siddique.

India Today has accessed an exclusive image of one of the two accused who was arrested from the spot. A third suspect is on the run, and efforts are on to catch him.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised strict action against those responsible for the attack on the NCP leader. “Two accused have been arrested, and one suspect is still at large. No one can take law and order into their own hands,” Shinde said.
The Chief Minister said that he had directed Mumbai Police to ensure swift action.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar cancelled all his programmes scheduled for Sunday and was expected to return to Mumbai later in the night. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the Lilavati Hospital.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, while reacting to the news of Siddique’s death, said he lost a “good colleague and a good friend”. He said strict action would be taken against the accused and the mastermind behind the attack.
“The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and strict action will be taken against the attackers. The mastermind behind the attack will also be traced. With the demise of Baba Siddique, we have lost a good leader who fought for the minority brothers and strived for pan-religious harmony,” he said.
Congress leader KC Venugopal said he was “shocked and stunned” after Baba Siddique was shot dead. Venugopal stated that his passing was a “massive loss” to the people of Maharashtra.
“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,” he said while criticising the Eknath Shinde-led government.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed a similar sentiment. She asked how the government would keep the common people safe when it couldn’t protect a political leader who had a ‘Y’ category security cover.
“The question that is being raised is where is the law and order in Mumbai today? Today, if a protected person is murdered in this manner, then the question arises of how safe the common people will feel,” she said.
Born on September 13, 1958 in Patna, Baba Siddique grew up in Mumbai and joined the Congress as a teenager in 1977. He quickly rose through the ranks due to his strong connections with the local electorate.
Baba Siddique went on to become the General Secretary of the Bandra Taluka of the Bandra Youth Congress in 1980 and was elected its chief within the next two years. In 1988, he became the president of the Mumbai Youth Congress and was elected Municipal Councillor in 1992.
In 1999, Siddique won his first election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Bandra West constituency. His win was seen as a result of his strong grassroots support and ability to mobilise voters from diverse communities. He went on to represent Bandra West for three consecutive terms, holding the seat until 2014.