New Delhi:A political brawl broke out the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin, accused of orchestrating the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, even as the National Bureau of Investigation was ready to seek custody.
Former Home Secretary P. Chidambaram asserted Thursday that extradition was the culmination of more than a decade of diplomatic, legal and intelligence efforts initiated by the UPA government in 2009, rather than a sudden breakthrough in the current government. He pointed to the 11 November 2009 case against Rana and his accomplices, the NIA case in early collaboration with Canada and the FBI, and Headley’s 2015 decision to use the approver as evidence of the term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chidambaram accused the BJP of “a big knock on the door” and “anxious desire to obtain improper credit” for the process it did not initiate, emphasizing that extradition proved the achievement of the quietly pursued goals that could be achieved by continuing diplomatic and international cooperation.
However, the BJP called Lana a milestone, reflecting “new India’s zero tolerance to terrorism”. Party spokesman Shehzad Poonawala called the extradition a “major achievement” of the Modi government and its security agencies, claiming it showed a “change” in the state’s attitude towards terror and respected 166 victims of 26/11 attacks, including U.S. citizens, Israel, Israel, France and others. According to the BJP, Lana’s reward shows that anyone who attacks India’s united or innocent people will be brought to justice.
Rana was extraditioned after a 2023 order by the California Central Court. Now, the NIA is expected to seek his custody to inquire about his role in reconnaissance of Agent Lashkar -e -tayyaba before promoting the siege of Mumbai.
