Oct 13, 2024 08:44 AM IST
Baba Siddique, a three-time MLA from Bandra West, had joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress.
Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Sunday alleged that the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique exposed the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra.
“The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time,” Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail,” the Congress leader added.
Baba Siddique was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai just outside his son’s office around 9.30pm on Saturday and shot at. He was taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead.
Baba Siddique, a three-time MLA from Bandra West, had joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress.
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A prominent Muslim leader from Mumbai, Baba Siddique was also known be close to several Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt.
The police said two persons from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have been arrested, while the third accused is absconding.
Baba Siddique’s security was beefed up to the Y category after he had received the threat to his life. While two of the assailants have been since arrested, one is still at large, said the Mumbai Police.
Opposition leaders demanded the resignation of chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, asking how the government would protect common people if they couldn’t protect a political leader with a ‘Y’ category security cover.
The Congress called Baba Siddique’s death 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,” Congress leader KC Venugopal said.
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