'Major foreign policy setback': PM Modi's 14-year-old tweet on Tahawwur Rana goes viral after extradition win

File Photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and NSA Ajit Doval

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was brought to India after being "successfully extradited" from the US and was formally arrested by the National Investigation Agency. He will be lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, as per sources quoted by news agency PTI.

Rana’s extradition marks a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana's alleged involvement in these attacks has been a subject of extensive investigation and legal proceedings across multiple countries.

Meanwhile, several X (formerly Twitter) users shared an old post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dating back to June 2011, when he was serving as the CM of Gujarat.

In this post, PM Modi had criticised the UPA government’s foreign policy after the US had cleared Rana of the charges related to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

“US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in Mumbai attack has disgraced the sovereignty of India & it is a “major foreign policy setback”,” read the post, shared on June 10, 2011.

US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in Mumbai attack has disgraced the sovereignty of India & it is a major foreign policy setback
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 10, 2011

Netizens praised PM Modi for the successful extradition of Rana after so many years. “Another promise has been fulfilled today,” wrote a user.

Another promise has been fulfilled today Bihar Times (@indiancrusher) February 13, 2025

“Today, the Government of India, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has extradited Tahawwur Rana from the US to Indian soil,” wrote another user.

Today, the Government of India, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has extradited Tahawwur Rana from the US to Indian soil.@narendramodi pic.twitter.com/eb4HoF4boE Biju VB (@Biju_Vaisyathil) April 10, 2025

Despite being acquitted on the charges directly related to the attacks, he was found guilty of providing support to a separate terror plot in Denmark aimed at attacking a Danish newspaper that published controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

As per sources quoted by news agency PTI, Rana would help the probe agencies expose the role of Pakistani state actors behind the dastardly attack that claimed 166 lives.

His extradition from the US could provide important leads into his travels in parts of northern and southern India days before the carnage in 2008, they said.

The central security officials had found that Rana had visited Hapur and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Kochi in Kerala, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and Mumbai in Maharashtra with his wife Samraz Rana Akhtar between November 13 and November 21, 2008, they said.

Rana had submitted business sponsor letters from 'Immigrant Law Center' and Property Tax payment notice from Cook County as his address proof.

The sources earlier said that once Rana is brought to India, the purpose of these visits would be established.