Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, expressed his grief over the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Mumbai.

Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and leader in Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was shot near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. He later succumbed to his bullet injuries at Lilavati Hospital late Saturday night.

Slamming the Maharashtra government over law and order, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "The tragic demise of Baba Siddique is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time. This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail."

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Former Member of the Lok Sabha, Priya Dutt also expressed grief over the killing of the NCP leader, saying that "Baba Siddique was a brother and a dear friend."

"Today, I’m shaken to the by the news of Baba Siddique’s tragic death, it has shocked me. Baba was more than a political associate; he was family.To my father, Baba Siddique was like a son, and to me, he was a brother and a dear friend."

"Throughout my father’s political journey and beyond, he stood steadfast, by his side. When I entered politics, he guided me through its ups and downs, offering his unwavering support. His loss feels like the departure of a family member. My heart bleeds for Bhabhi, Zeeshan, and Arshia. May God grant them the resilience to bear this immense sorrow. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Farewell, dear brother," she said.

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Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad also posted on X and said, "Shocked and numbed to hear about the firing at Shri Baba Siddiqui. What is going on in the city? How can this happen? At a loss of words."

Meanwhile, NCP has cancelled all party programmes scheduled for today over the killing of Siddique.

In a post on X, the party posted, "Keeping in view the tragic death of our party colleague Shri. Baba Siddique, all party programs for 13th October, 2024 i.e. Sunday stand cancelled."

Siddique was known for his grand Iftar parties which hosted some of the superstars from Bollywood like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt.

He was a three-time MLA from Bandra West and had joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress. He was shot by unidentified assailants on Saturday evening.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, expressed his grief over the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Mumbai.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, expressed his grief over the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in Mumbai. Siddique, a former Maharashtra minister and leader in Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was shot near Nirmal Nagar in Bandra. He later succumbed to his bullet injuries at Lilavati Hospital late Saturday night. Slamming the Maharashtra government over law and order, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "The tragic demise of Baba Siddique is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time. This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail." Also read | Shooters behind Indian politician Baba Siddique's killing claim to be from Lawrence Bishnoi gang: Reports Former Member of the Lok Sabha, Priya Dutt also expressed grief over the killing of the NCP leader, saying that "Baba Siddique was a brother and a dear friend." "Today, I’m shaken to the by the news of Baba Siddique’s tragic death, it has shocked me. Baba was more than a political associate; he was family.To my father, Baba Siddique was like a son, and to me, he was a brother and a dear friend." "Throughout my father’s political journey and beyond, he stood steadfast, by his side. When I entered politics, he guided me through its ups and downs, offering his unwavering support. His loss feels like the departure of a family member. My heart bleeds for Bhabhi, Zeeshan, and Arshia. May God grant them the resilience to bear this immense sorrow. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Farewell, dear brother," she said. Also read | Senior NCP leader Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai: 'Collapsed law and order' Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad also posted on X and said, "Shocked and numbed to hear about the firing at Shri Baba Siddiqui. What is going on in the city? How can this happen? At a loss of words." Meanwhile, NCP has cancelled all party programmes scheduled for today over the killing of Siddique. In a post on X, the party posted, "Keeping in view the tragic death of our party colleague Shri. Baba Siddique, all party programs for 13th October, 2024 i.e. Sunday stand cancelled." Siddique was known for his grand Iftar parties which hosted some of the superstars from Bollywood like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. He was a three-time MLA from Bandra West and had joined Ajit Pawar’s NCP earlier in February this year after resigning from the Congress. He was shot by unidentified assailants on Saturday evening.

Rahul Gandhi Maharashtra government for NCP leader Baba Siddique's death

The Mumbai Police's Crime Branch said on Sunday (Oct 13) that it had identified the third accused in connection with the murder of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique.

The Mumbai Police's Crime Branch said on Sunday (Oct 13) that it had identified the third accused in connection with the murder of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique. The third accused is Shiv Kumar Gautam, a resident of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The crime branch said that Gautam would be arrested soon. The police had earlier arrested the two accused- Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh. As per reports, Singh and Kashyap claimed that they belonged to the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Hours after the above claim, a Facebook post by a gang member claimed that said that they targeted Siddique because of his close ties to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and alleged links to underworld figures like Dawood Ibrahim. However, the police are verifying the authenticity of this Facebook post. On Sunday, the Crime Branch also revealed that a total of six rounds of bullets were fired at Siddique, out of which three hit him. Earlier, doctors at the Lilavati Hospital (where Siddique was admitted) claimed that the politician sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest. Here's a look at the latest updates from the case: > Baba Siddique, 66, was a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)- Ajit Pawar faction. He was a member of Congress and resigned from the party earlier this year. He was known to be close to several Bollywood stars. > Siddique was attacked outside his son and politician Zeeshan's office near the Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar, Bandra East. He was brought to the Lilavati Hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries. Also read | Shooters behind Indian politician Baba Siddique's killing claim to be from Lawrence Bishnoi gang: Reports > The three accused shooters had done recce of Siddique's house and office premises, and they were in Mumbai for a few months to keep an eye on him. > Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Sunday that Siddique would be cremated with full state honours as the former minister in the state. > Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that five teams have been formed and sent to different states to probe the killing and it would be known in 2-3 days who was behind the incident. > Siddique's murder has triggered a political slugfest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition parties in the country. > Opposition leaders including Congress' Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Maharashtra government over a collapse of law and order in the state. > "The tragic demise of Baba Siddique is shocking and saddening. My thoughts are with his family in this difficult time. This horrifying incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government must take responsibility, and justice must prevail," Gandhi said in a post on X. #WATCH | Bahraich, UP | Baba Siddique murder case | Absconding accused Shiva's mother says, "He went to Pune to work in a scrapyard. I knew only this. I was not aware of what he was doing in Mumbai...He came home in Holi. After that, he did not come. He was not talking to me even… pic.twitter.com/RpdoPqDwNf — ANI (@ANI) October 13, 2024 × > Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) national convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "People of not only Maharashtra but the entire country are scared of the incident of NCP leader being shot dead in public in Mumbai." > Ajit Pawar urged political parties and others to stop politicising Siddique's murder. "This is not a time for division or for exploiting the pain of others for political advantage. Right now, our focus must be on ensuring that justice is served," Pawar said. > The mother of the accused Shiv Kumar Gautam told the news agency ANI, "He went to Pune to work in a scrapyard. I knew only this. I was not aware of what he was doing in Mumbai...He came home in Holi. After that, he did not come. He was not talking to me even on calls so I cannot say anything about the incident. His age is around 18-19 years..." > Meanwhile, accused Dharamraj Kashyap's mother said, "Two months ago, he went to work in a scrapyard. He went to Pune. We have contacted only once since then..." (With inputs from agencies)

Baba Siddique murder updates: Third accused identified, to be arrested soon

Indian politician and former minister in the state of Maharashtra, Baba Siddique, was shot dead by three men in Mumbai's Bandra on Saturday (Oct 12). Police arrested two of the assailants, while the third is still on the run.

Indian politician and former minister in the state of Maharashtra, Baba Siddique, was shot dead by three men in Mumbai's Bandra on Saturday (Oct 12). Police arrested two of the assailants, while the third is still on the run. The two arrested assailants, identified as Karnail Singh from Haryana and Dharamraj Kashyap from Uttar Pradesh, claimed during interrogation that they belonged to the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang, according to media reports on Sunday. The third accused has been identified and will be arrested soon, said sources. A report by NDTV said that the police were probing the murder case from two angles, one involving the Bishnoi gang and the other related to a slum rehabilitation case. A viral Facebook post Hours after the above claim, a Facebook post by a purported Lawrence Bishnoi gang member claimed that they targeted Siddique because of his close ties to Bollywood actor Salman Khan and the alleged links to underworld figures like Dawood Ibrahim. However, the police are verifying the authenticity of this Facebook post. Also read | Senior NCP leader Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai: 'Collapsed law and order' Bishnoi has been involved in several high-profile cases, including the killing of rapper and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala. Bishoi has also issued threats to Salman Khan. Siddique, 66, was a leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Ajit Pawar faction. He was a member of the Congress and had resigned from the party earlier this year. He was known to be close to several Bollywood stars. The NDTV report further said that the involvement of the Bishnoi gang (in Baba Siddique's murder) was suspected due to the NCP leader's proximity to Salman Khan. However, Siddique did not report any threat from the Bishnoi gang in the past, the police said. Siddique sustained two gunshot wounds On Saturday, Siddique was attacked outside the office of his MLA son Zeeshan near the Colgate Ground in Nirmal Nagar, Bandra East. He was rushed to the Lilavati Hospital after the shooting for treatment. #WATCH | Baba Siddique firing | Dr Jalil Parkar, Lilavati Hospital says, "Around 9:30 pm Baba Siddique was brought here. When he was taken into the emergency his pulse or BP was not recordable. The ECG was a flat line...We shifted him to the ICU. He was declared dead around 11:25… pic.twitter.com/JYMtJvB2qf — ANI (@ANI) October 12, 2024 × Doctors at the hospital told reporters that the 66-year-old sustained two gunshot wounds to his chest. Despite extensive resuscitative treatment, Siddique succumbed to injuries. "Around 9.30 pm, Baba Siddique was brought here. When he arrived in the emergency room, his pulse and blood pressure were unrecordable, and the ECG showed a flat line. We shifted him to the ICU," Dr Jalil Parkar, a physician at the hospital, told the news agency ANI. "He was declared dead around 11.27 pm. He had bullet wounds on his chest," Dr Parkar added. The accused shooters had reportedly done the recce of Siddique's house and office premises and were in Mumbai since a few months to keep an eye on him. (With inputs from agencies)

Shooters behind Indian politician Baba Siddique’s killing claim to be from Lawrence Bishnoi gang: Reports