Indian politician Baba Siddique shot dead in Mumbai

Siddique was a senior political figure in Maharashtra state, which is due to hold elections next month.

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An Indian politician has been shot dead in the commercial capital, Mumbai. Gunmen opened fire on Baba Siddique, 66, near the office of his son, who is also a politician, according to local media reports. Two people have been arrested in connection with the killing. Siddique, a former local minister, was a senior figure in the politics of Maharashtra state, which is expected to hold legislative polls next month. In February he defected from Congress, India’s main opposition party and joined the unrelated regional Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is part of the governing coalition of the BJP. Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, from the same party as Siddique, said he was shocked by the “cowardly attack”. Siddique was known for lavish parties and for close ties to Bollywood superstars. The shooting happened with high security in place due to a major Hindu festival in the city. Opposition parties have criticised the government, saying there was a major lapse in security. The state government has promised a thorough inquiry. Though two suspects have been taken into custody, the motive is not clear. Police are searching for a third suspect. Some Indian media report the suspects have said they were from a gang run by notorious criminal Lawrence Bishnoi. Bishnoi is currently in jail in connection with several high-profile cases. He has also been linked to the murder of Indian rapper Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022 The shooting came weeks after Siddique’s security detail was upgraded following death threats. Schools in coastal Odisha and West Bengal have been shut and trains and flights have been cancelled. The meeting comes days after the Asian giants agreed to de-escalate tensions along their disputed border. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who ended a 16-day-long hunger strike this week, says his fight is not over. Musk’s Starlink and Mukesh Ambani are preparing to face off in India’s satellite broadband market. Job scams are not uncommon in India but the setting up of a fake branch still took many by surprise. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved.  The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.

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