Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 11: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi launched a scathing attack on the Congress Party following former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s remarks on the extradition of Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Joshi questioned the Congress’s track record on terrorism, highlighting past controversial statements by party leaders.
Chidambaram had earlier criticized the BJP-led government for taking “credit” for Rana’s extradition, asserting that the process was initiated during the UPA era. In response, Joshi said:
“Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had given a clean chit to Pakistan after the 26/11 attacks. If the party didn’t agree with his views, why did they repeatedly send him to the Rajya Sabha and give him key posts?”
He accused the Congress of lacking a consistent stance on terrorism and said the public sees through the party’s efforts to claim credit for the extradition.
“These people, whose record is filled with appeasement and confusion, now want to take credit for bringing Rana to India,” Joshi added.
On Thursday, P. Chidambaram issued a statement saying that the extradition of Tahawwur Rana was the culmination of diplomatic groundwork laid during the UPA government (2004–2014).
“By February 17, 2025, Indian officials confirmed Rana’s role in the 26/11 conspiracy. On April 8, 2025, US authorities handed Rana over. The Modi government simply benefited from the UPA’s consistent diplomacy,” Chidambaram said.
Chidambaram served as the Union Home Minister during the aftermath of the 2008 attacks and emphasized that the legal and diplomatic foundation for Rana’s extradition was laid during that time.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Justice termed the extradition a “critical step toward justice” for the victims of the 2008 attacks, including six Americans.
“Rana’s extradition is a critical step toward seeking justice for the six Americans and scores of other victims who were killed in the heinous attacks,” said a statement released on April 10, 2025.
Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 64, a Canadian citizen and Pakistani national, was extradited to India after years of legal proceedings under the India-US Extradition Treaty. He is facing 10 criminal charges, including conspiracy, murder, terrorism, and forgery, for allegedly facilitating the 26/11 attacks alongside Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) confirmed Rana was brought to New Delhi on April 10 and produced before a special NIA court, which has remanded him to 18 days of custody for interrogation.
The extradition marks a significant moment in India’s quest for justice in the 26/11 Mumbai terror case, even as the political blame game over who should get the credit continues.