Muslim politician in India’s Maharashtra shot dead weeks before state polls

Police in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, are looking into the role of a well-known crime gang, leading to the death of a senior Muslim politician who was shot dead weeks before a crucial state election.

Baba Siddique, 66, a three-time legislator and former minister in Maharashtra state, was shot multiple times outside the office of his son, also a legislator, in Mumbai on Saturday night, police said in a statement.

He later succumbed to his wounds at the city’s Lilavati Hospital.

Siddique has long been associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party, but recently joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), a regional party that governs Maharashtra in partnership with another regional group, the Shiv Sena.

November is expected to bring about assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Siddique, left, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan during an election rally in 2009]File: Punit Paranjpe/Reuters]

Following Siddique’s upgrade to his security detail, which reportedly received death threats, the shooting occurred.

According to press reports, police were looking for another suspect and two suspected attackers had been detained.

The two suspects allegedly participated in a gang run by Lawrence Bishnoi, who is accused of operating a crime gang that has committed numerous murders, according to NDTV’s broadcaster.

Police officers and media stand at a crime scene where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) politician Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai, India, October 13, 2024. — Police officers and reporters at the scene where Siddique was shot in Mumbai]Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters]

Siddique was known for hosting lavish parties and was close to a number of Bollywood stars.

Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP group that Siddique belonged to, said he was “shocked” by the killing.

“The incident will be thoroughly investigated, and the attackers will be subject to strict retaliation,” he declared. The mastermind behind the attack can also be identified, Pawar said in a statement on X.

“This is not the time to divide or to use others’ suffering for political gain,” he said. Our current focus must be on ensuring the delivery of justice.

The NCP has been devastated by the tragic loss of Shri Baba Siddique, a leader deeply loved by many, and personally, I have lost a dear friend whom I have known for years. We are heartbroken, struggling to grasp the cruelty of this incident. This is not just a political loss—it’s…