After Tahawwur Rana’s extradition to India, PM Modi’s 2011 tweet slamming UPA over the 26/11 accused resurfaces and goes viral on social media.
An old tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 2011 went viral after the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Social media users widely circulated the post, in which Modi had slammed the then UPA government following a US court’s decision to clear Rana of involvement in the attacks. In the tweet, Modi had written, “US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in the Mumbai attack has disgraced the sovereignty of India & it is a major foreign policy setback.” The resurfaced tweet sparked a wave of reactions online, with many netizens applauding the fulfillment of a long-standing demand. One user commented, “Another promise fulfilled today.”
Rana extradited after US Supreme Court clearance
Rana, a Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman and close associate of David Coleman Headley, was extradited to India after the US Supreme Court rejected his appeal. He was flown to Delhi on Thursday evening by a multi-agency team led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The 64-year-old was produced in Delhi’s Patiala House Court on Friday and remanded to 18-day NIA custody. The agency told the court that Rana’s interrogation was crucial to uncovering the broader conspiracy behind the 2008 attacks and cited emails and evidence involving Pakistani nationals Ilyas Kashmiri and Abdur Rehman.
Rana’s role in 26/11 plot under scrutiny
Rana is accused of conspiring with Headley and operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) to orchestrate the three-day siege of Mumbai that left 166 people dead and over 230 injured. He allegedly helped Headley with planning and logistics during the reconnaissance phase of the attacks.
Security tight as court hearing held
Heavy security was deployed around the court premises during Rana’s late-night production. The media and public were restricted from entering, citing security reasons. Rana, who initially lacked legal representation, was later assigned a lawyer by the Delhi Legal Services Authority.
The extradition marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to bring all conspirators of the 26/11 attacks to justice, nearly 16 years after the devastating terror strike.
Also read | Tahawwur Rana, Mumbai terror attack accused, sent to 18-day NIA custody | What we know so far
