Former Maharashtra minister and senior leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, Ziauddin Siddique alias Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai’s Bandra on Saturday night. The 66-year-old politician was attacked by unidentified assailants who fired six bullets near the office of his son, Zeeshan Siddique, MLA of Bandra East. Two suspects have been arrested.
The shooting took place around 9:30 PM on Dussehra and just months ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Baba Siddique, who was struck by four bullets, was rushed to Lilavati Hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries. One of his aides was also injured in the attack.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his grief over the incident, calling it “extremely unfortunate” and emphasizing that strict action will be taken. “There are reports that he (Mr. Siddique) has died. Two people have been arrested, one from Uttar Pradesh and one from Haryana, while another is on the run. I have asked the police to take strict action and ensure no one takes law and order into their hands. A gang-war-like situation should not be allowed to resurface in Mumbai,” he said in Marathi.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, visited the hospital, while Ajit Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister, wrote on X: “I am shocked to know about Mr. Siddique’s death and that I have lost a good colleague and friend.”
Baba Siddique, a three-time MLA from Bandra West, had a long association with the Congress, serving for 48 years before joining Ajit Pawar’s NCP earlier this year. His son, Zeeshan Siddique, was expelled from the Congress in August. NCP spokesperson Brijmohan Shrivastav, speaking to NDTV, said that Mr. Siddique had not mentioned any threats prior to the attack.
Baba Siddique’s political career saw him elected to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1999, 2004, and 2009. He also served as the Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, Labour, and FDA between 2004 and 2008. He was equally well-known for his high-profile Iftar parties, including the one in 2013 where the long-standing feud between Bollywood superstars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan was resolved.
Bollywood actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, both close friends of Siddique, rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news.
The tragic death of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique has sparked concerns over the law and order situation in Mumbai. Opposition leaders have raised questions about how a politician with Y-level security could be killed in a high-profile area like Bandra. Baba Siddique, who was shot dead on Saturday night, was a senior leader of the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.
NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) President Sharad Pawar strongly criticized the government, stating that officials in charge should take responsibility for the situation. “The deteriorating law and order situation in the state is a matter of concern. It is sad that former state minister Baba Siddique was shot dead in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai. If the Home minister and the rulers will take the state’s vehicle forward with such leniency, it can be a warning sign for the common people. This not only needs to be investigated, the rulers need to accept responsibility and step down from their posts. My heartfelt tribute to Baba Siddique and condolences to his family,” he wrote in Marathi.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the government’s failure to ensure safety in the city. “The shooting and killing of former minister of state and former MLA Baba Siddique, who had Y-level security, is very shocking and tragic. I am praying for strength to his family in this difficult time. A big leader in the state has been shot like this. We keep saying that Maharashtra has become Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai was peaceful but such incidents are happening here now because there is no fear of the police in the city. The government has supported criminals,” he wrote in Marathi.
In response to the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar assured that the case would be thoroughly investigated and that strict action would be taken against those responsible.
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