05:41 PM
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Books – Mahmoud Al-Toukhi
On Saturday evening, gunmen shot the Indian Muslim politician, Baba Siddiqui, in the western city of Mumbai.
Indian police said, according to what was reported by local media, that Siddiqui, 66 years old, was shot while leaving the office of his son, Member of Parliament Zeeshan Siddiqui.
Shortly after his arrival at the hospital, the Indian authorities announced the death of the Indian National Congress member.
According to local media, the police arrested 2 out of 3 gunmen who participated in the assassination of my friend, without revealing details about the motives for the assassination.
According to the Indian website “NDTV”, the “Lawrence Bishnoi” gang claimed responsibility for the assassination, explaining that it allocated 50 thousand rupees to the perpetrators of the attack.
How was the assassination carried out?
According to what was published by the Associated Press, my friend was hit by four bullets in the chest and abdomen.
She pointed out that it was possible that the perpetrators of the assassination were stationed near the car of the three-term member of the Indian Parliament, which was waiting for him.
She indicated that the perpetrators of the attack used a smoke bomb in addition to the fireworks of the Dussehra convoy to camouflage the sounds of gunfire.
Sources told the Indian website that the perpetrators of the attack used hot pepper spray against the policeman assigned to guard Siddiqui, after their resounding leader, Shivkumar, fired 6 bullets at Siddiqui before he was able to flee and disappear among the crowds of the convoy.
It was revealed that the police found two pistols and 28 bullets in the possession of the accused.
Weeks before the assassination, the Indian authorities enhanced security measures and private guards for my friend after he received death threats.
Who is Baba Siddiqui?
Siddiqui, 66 years old, is considered one of the most prominent Muslim politicians in India, as he was a local minister in the state of Maharashtra, which is scheduled to hold legislative elections next month.
Siddiqui was associated for many years with the Indian National Congress Party, but he joined the ruling regional party in the state of Maharashtra. He also had close relationships with a number of Indian film stars, which were strengthened due to the loud parties that Siddiqui used to throw periodically.
Warnings for a Bollywood star
The Lawrence Bishnoi gang not only claimed responsibility for the incident, but also threatened to kill anyone who might help the Indian star, Salman Khan, who was shot near his house earlier, and who is known to have been a close friend of Siddiqui. Reports indicate that the relationship between them was the motive behind his assassination.
For his part, Chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, Pyari Khan, confirmed that the assassination of Siddiqui is unfortunate for the state, calling on all people in Bollywood to contact the administration if they receive threats due to their dealings with Salman Khan, according to what was reported by ANI.
In turn, the Prime Minister of the Indian state, Eknath Shinde, confirmed that the authorities will arrest the third fugitive accused, “whether he is from the Bishnoi gang or any other criminal gang… We will not have mercy on anyone.”
Siddiqui’s body was held in the state of Maharashtra, where an official funeral was held in the presence of political and opposition leaders, amid tight security measures.
India is witnessing sectarian and religious tensions, especially under the rule of the extremist Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, with Narendra Modi heading the government.
Human Rights Watch attributes the reasons for the increase in violence and hatred against Muslims in India to several reasons, most notably the hate speech adopted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign.
The human rights organization noted that 110 of the 173 speeches Modi delivered since last March contained anti-Muslim statements, and it also accuses the opposition of seeking to promote Muslim rights.