Complete collapse of law and order in Maharashtra: Rahul Gandhi on murder of Baba Siddique

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the killing of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique 'exposed' the collapse of law and order in Maharashtra.

In a post on X, he wrote: “The tragic demise of Baba Siddique ji 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,” the Congress leader added.

NCP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Baba Siddique was shot dead by three men in Mumbai's Bandra area around 9.30 p.m. on Saturday just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddiqui's office in Bandra. He was taken to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead. Two of the assailants have been arrested.

The 66-year-old leader had represented Bandra (West) seat three times in the Assembly. He switched to the NCP from Congress in February.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Saturday that the trial of the murder case will take place in the fast-track court and encounter specialist Daya Nayak will investigate the incident.

He further said the Mumbai Police have been directed to maintain law and order and they should see that nobody takes law and order into their hands. "Gang war should not revive. Strict action should be taken against those indulging in such incidents."

NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule said, "... This is absolutely unacceptable, when a member of the ruling govt alliance is unsafe & killed in his own son’s office that too in Mumbai, it speaks volumes about the law and order state in Maharashtra!’’

NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal appealed to the Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police to take immediate steps to investigate the killings of Baba Siddique and NCP’s Byculla Taluka President Sachin Kurmi.

He said, "The news that the senior leader of NCP, Baba Siddique, was shot indiscriminately by unknown persons in Mumbai and his death is very shocking and mind-numbing. It is not even a week since the murder of Byculla Taluka President Sachin Kurmi of the Nationalist Congress Party, this incident is very alarming. My earnest appeal to state home minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Police is to take immediate steps to investigate these two cases on a war footing. A heartfelt tribute to Baba Siddique! I share in the grief of his family. We pray that they get the strength to overcome this pain.’’

A prominent Muslim leader from Mumbai, Siddique was known not just for his political connections across party lines but also for hosting lavish parties. He was close to several Bollywood stars, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt.