Exclusive | Baba Siddique murder case: Even in his last moments, my father saved me, says Zeeshan Siddique

Zeeshan Siddique, Bandra East MLA. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

Sometimes I find myself going blank every 10 to 15 minutes, wondering if this has really happened. Even in his last moments, my father saved me," Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique told mid-day while recalling the day his father, NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique, was murdered.

Amid shifting loyalties and the shadow of his father's tragic death over the Bandra East Assembly constituency, the 32-year-old legislator opened up about his emotional struggle and determination to serve the Bandra East constituency as he seeks re-election.

Speaking to mid-day during a rally outside Bandra court, Zeeshan said, "Not a single day, not a single moment goes by since that day, I don't miss my father… It has become a nightmare for me."

Zeeshan Siddique, Bandra East MLA, addresses a rally outside Bandra court on Tuesday. Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

On October 12, Baba Siddique, 66, was shot dead by three men outside Zeeshan's Bandra East office around 9.30 pm. According to police, six bullets were fired, with four hitting Siddique and another injuring an aide in the leg. He was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he was declared dead. The loss has been deeply personal and overwhelming for Zeeshan, who finds it challenging to visit his office, now a painful reminder of the tragedy. "I miss my father in every aspect of life... I miss him at night, I miss him in the morning, I miss him at every moment and I think other than me, everyone here in this constituency misses him," he said.
"My father's death is something that I cannot come to terms with. I had just left my office and right outside my office, this tragic incident happened. So, it is very tough for me to even go to my office.

But I have been raised as a fighter and my father taught me to never leave the fight from the battleground."

The MLA said he was determined to continue Siddique's legacy by contesting the election, by doing so, honouring both his father's memory and the wishes
of his constituency.

"I am doing this [contesting the election] for him and doing this for the people of my constituency. They want me to repeat my term; they want me as their MLA. My father is someone whom I always wanted to make proud... I am sure he is up there smiling and guiding me, and I am sure I will make him proud," he said.

‘Would have taken his place'

Reflecting on the devastating incident, Zeeshan admitted that he would have willingly taken his father's place. "As a son, I would rather have it [the bullet] hit me, than my father if I was there. I would have gone instead because right now, the life that I am living is quite meaningless and empty. But was the scenario different, and if there was a bullet coming my way or my father's way, and I was present, I would have taken the bullet hands down...100 out of 100 times," he stated.

The timing of his departure from the office just two minutes before the attack haunts him. "This is something that is going to haunt me all my life. I don't know how things will be different, but in his last moments, too, my father saved my life. Now I think that if I am alive, I am alive for a reason," he said.

Zeeshan said he is determined to fight the battles his father started, especially for the underprivileged who face systemic challenges. "As you see, a lot of people from humble backgrounds are fighting to have their own houses. This is the battle we have been fighting. My father was fighting, I have been fighting... against adversity, the cruel system. And I am going to continue to do so. My father lost his life doing so, and I am not scared anymore. After I lost the most important part of my life, what else is there? What else can I lose now?"

Political shift

Zeeshan joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) on October 25, citing that he had been misled by the Congress and was kept in the dark by the party all along about his candidature. In 2019, he won the Bandra East Assembly seat on a Congress ticket, defeating Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, a former Mumbai mayor. His recent shift to the NCP has attracted criticism from some quarters.

Addressing critics and rivals, Zeeshan expressed confidence in his connection with the constituency. "I know that more than 75 to 80 per cent of the constituency is with me. So it really doesn't matter who contests against me. My father is not around me physically, but he is there with me in my heart. Every morning when I wake up, I talk to him; every night before going to sleep, I take his guidance," he stated.

The MLA added, "The fact that I am standing here talking to you a few days after somebody shot my father itself shows the strength that he instilled in me is still there."

Oct 25
Day Zeeshan joined NCP