Two suspects in Baba Siddique murder from same UP village
Bahraich (PTI): Two youths involved in the killing of NCP leader Baba Siddique are from the same village in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh. Both of them were from regular families and had no criminal history, police said on Sunday.
Baba Siddique (66), a former Maharashtra minister, was shot dead by three assailants in Mumbai on Saturday night.
Two of the accused, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Shiv Kumar alias Shiva Gautam, are residents of Gandara village in Bahraich.
Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla said both of them were working at a scrap shop in Pune, Maharashtra. They have no criminal history in Bahraich, he said.
Kaiserganj Circle Officer (CO) Anil Kumar Singh said, "Shiv Kumar had gone to Maharashtra a few years ago to work as a labourer and had invited Dharmaraj to join him."
Shiva's mother, Suman, expressed shock and disbelief at the allegations. While speaking to the media, she described her son as a hardworking and peaceful person. She said that he had gone to Pune to work at a scrap shop and had last visited the village during Holi.
"Policemen and media people have been coming and going since morning asking about Shiva. The police have questioned us too," she added.
Dharmaraj's mother Kusum said that he went to Pune to work as a scrap dealer. "When the police came to our house in the morning, we came to know that my son is involved in some case."
Though they have no criminal history in Bahraich, still, as a precaution, "the police is trying to gather information about both of them, Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla told mediapersons.
"They belong to normal families and both were in touch with their families. A police team visited their homes to find out whether they have any information about this incident or not," she added.
Head of the village Hasnain Kamal said that the villagers were unaware of the alleged involvement of the two men in the murder. "Both Shiva and Dharmaraj have no criminal history in the village and could be victims of a conspiracy," he said.
Mumbai Police has launched a probe into the killing of the former Maharashtra minister from different angles, including a possible contract killing, business rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, officials said on Sunday.
They were also verifying a social media post in which an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder, police said.
Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office and shot at on Saturday night. He was taken to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai where he was declared dead.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
