Maharashtra NCP leader Baba Siddique was shot dead in Mumbai's Bandra East late on Saturday night, during Vijayadashami. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Baba Siddique was a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics, and he also held a special place in the film industry. He achieved something unforgettable in Bollywood that people still talk about today.
Baba Siddique played a pivotal role in mending the broken friendship between Salman Khan and Shahrukh Khan, two of Bollywood's biggest stars. Though the reason for their feud is still unclear, the two actors, once close friends, had become bitter enemies, refusing to see or even acknowledge each other for nearly five years. The tension between them was so intense that if one attended an event, the other would avoid it.
This long-standing rift finally came to an end in 2013 at Baba Siddique’s famous Iftar party, where the two actors embraced and reconciled. It was a moment Bollywood fans had only dreamed of, and it has gone down in history as a significant event in the film industry.
Baba Siddique’s Iftar parties were legendary, attended not just by Salman and Shahrukh, but also by many other stars. His ability to bring people together, both in politics and in the film world, was a defining aspect of his personality. His murder has now sent shockwaves across the country, leaving both the political and film communities in grief.
Baba Siddique, originally from Bihar, began his political journey in his teenage years by joining the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Indian National Congress. Soon after, he was elected as a Municipal Corporator in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Siddique went on to serve as an MLA from the Vandre West Vidhan Sabha Constituency for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004, and 2009. He also held the position of Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies, Labour, and FDA.
In February of this year, Siddique made a significant move by resigning from the Congress Party and joining the Nationalist Congress Party, led by Ajit Pawar. Reflecting on his exit, Siddique stated, "My condition in the Congress was like how curry leaves are used to enhance the taste of food. I was treated like that in the Congress Party."
Meanwhile, Siddique’s son, Zeeshan, who served as a Congress MLA for Mumbai’s Bandra (East) assembly constituency, was expelled from the party in August due to alleged anti-party activities.
