The shocking murder of prominent Indian politician Baba Ziauddin Siddique in Mumbai has sent ripples across the nation, reigniting fears of political violence reminiscent of the 1990s. Siddique, a key political figure in Maharashtra’s coalition government, was shot on Saturday night near his son’s office in the bustling Bandra area. He succumbed to his injuries later at the hospital.
The 66-year-old politician’s death has spurred widespread speculation and political fallout. The motive remains unclear, but his assassination, allegedly carried out by members of a notorious gang, has thrown the state government into turmoil, with political leaders trading accusations over the breakdown of law and order in the state.
Who Was Baba Siddique?
Born in Bihar, Siddique migrated to Mumbai as a young child and steadily rose through the political ranks. Starting as a student leader with the Congress party in the 1980s, he became an influential figure in Mumbai’s local politics. Siddique served three consecutive terms in Maharashtra’s state legislature and was appointed a minister in 2004.
In 2023, he switched to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which governs Maharashtra in a coalition with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena. Siddique also gained recognition for hosting high-profile iftar parties, attended by Bollywood celebrities, most notably in 2013, when actors Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan publicly reconciled at his event.
The Assassination and Its Aftermath
Siddique was shot multiple times as he prepared to enter his car outside his son’s office. Police report that three shooters fired six or seven rounds, striking Siddique in the chest and abdomen. A bystander was also injured by a stray bullet. Despite having three police guards at the time, the attackers reportedly used a “smoke firecracker” to distract them.
Three suspects have been arrested, with police recovering two pistols and live ammunition. The suspects are allegedly linked to the Bishnoi gang, a notorious criminal group led by Lawrence Bishnoi, currently imprisoned in Gujarat. Though Bishnoi has been in jail since 2015, his gang has been implicated in numerous criminal activities, including the high-profile murder of Punjabi rapper Sidhu Moosewala in 2022.
Ongoing Investigations and Unfolding Political Drama
Police have ramped up their efforts, forming 15 teams to investigate and locate additional accomplices. While the investigation is still in progress, social media posts allegedly from the Bishnoi gang claim responsibility for the murder, though these have not yet been authenticated by authorities.
Siddique’s murder is the first high-profile political assassination in Mumbai since the 1990s, a period marked by frequent attacks on politicians, businessmen, and Bollywood celebrities by the city’s underworld. The brazen killing has prompted severe criticism from opposition parties, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling it “a complete failure of law and order.” Delhi’s former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed these concerns, stating that the incident has “scared not only the people of Maharashtra but the entire country.”
Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, has vowed that the culprits will face justice, asserting that the state government will fulfill its responsibility to protect individuals receiving death threats.
Looming Elections and Rising Tensions
Siddique’s murder comes at a sensitive time, with assembly elections in Maharashtra on the horizon. The political fallout from the assassination is already being felt, as opposition parties seize the moment to criticize the current government’s handling of law and order.
As investigations continue, the case has reignited fears of organized crime’s grip on Mumbai, and with the looming elections, it could shape the political narrative in the coming months.
