Who is Zeeshan Siddique? Congress MLA defying Lawrence Bishnoi after his father's assassination

The motive behind Baba Siddique's murder remains unclear, although one of the arrested shooters claimed that the veteran politician had ties to underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and was "not a good man."

Congress MLA Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late NCP leader Baba Siddique, has revealed that he is now being targeted by the same individuals responsible for his father's murder. On October 12, Baba Siddique was shot dead by three gunmen, allegedly linked to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Despite the looming threat, Zeeshan remains defiant, saying that he will not be intimidated.

In a powerful social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Zeeshan Siddique wrote, "They silenced my father. But they forget - he was a lion and I carry his roar within me, his fight in my veins. He stood for justice, fought for change, and withstood the storms with unwavering courage."

Challenging the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, believed to be behind his father's killing, Zeeshan continued, "Now, those who brought him down turn their sights on me assuming they've won. To them I declare: The blood of a lion runs in my veins. I am still here, unafraid and unbroken. They took one, but I rise in his place. This fight is far from over. Today, I stand where he stood: ALIVE, RELENTLESS, and READY. To my people of Vandre East, I am always with you."

The motive behind Baba Siddique's murder remains unclear, although one of the arrested shooters claimed that the veteran politician had ties to underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and was "not a good man."

Zeeshan Siddique represents the Bandra East constituency in the state assembly. The 34-year-old first contested the Maharashtra elections in 2019, securing a victory against a Shiv Sena candidate by a margin of 5,790 votes. The Bandra East seat had previously been held by his father, who served as a three-time MLA.

Zeeshan has faced controversies in the past. In 2021, the Bombay High Court ordered an investigation into his and actor Sonu Sood's alleged involvement in the "illegal distribution" of the antiviral drug Remdesivir during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In light of recent developments, authorities have uncovered further threats against Zeeshan. A photograph of the Congress leader was found on the phone of one of the accused in his father's murder, confirming that Zeeshan was also on the target list of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.