PM Modi’s 2011 tweet goes viral after Tahawwur Rana’s extradition

A 14-year-old tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone viral on social media after Tahawwur Rana, a key accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was extradited from the United States and brought to Delhi on Thursday evening.

The resurfaced post, dating back to 2011 when Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister, slammed the then Congress-led UPA government over what he called a “major foreign policy setback” after a US court cleared Rana of direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks that left 166 people dead.

“US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in Mumbai attack has disgraced the sovereignty of India & it is a major foreign policy setback,” PM Modi had posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Now, with Rana finally in custody of Indian officials, social media has erupted with praise for PM Modi’s persistence. Several X users have flooded the platform with the phrase “Modi hai toh mumkin hai (If there’s Modi, it’s possible)”.

“A leader who walks the talk. Captain my captain,” one user wrote, while another added, “You did it sir!! Kudos and thank you!”

Tahawwur Rana’s extradition

Tahawwur Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, arrived in Delhi on Thursday after a lengthy legal battle in the US, during which he fought extradition on health and legal grounds. His return to India marks a major milestone in the country’s pursuit of justice for the 2008 attacks.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally arrested Rana upon his arrival and secured an 18-day custody order from a special court in Delhi. Officials say he played a crucial support role in the 26/11 plot, primarily by helping co-accused David Coleman Headley conduct surveillance of potential targets in Mumbai.

Headley, who later turned approver in the case, testified that Rana used his immigration consultancy firm to give him cover while he traveled across Mumbai and scouted key locations -including the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Chabad House, and CST train station – on behalf of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), the terror group behind the attacks.

According to officials, Rana helped Headley obtain a long-term Indian visa, allowed him to open a front office in Mumbai, and was in touch with other conspirators including ‘Major Iqbal’, a Pakistani intelligence officer.

Rana himself visited India in November 2008, days before the terror attack.

As per the charge sheet filed by Mumbai police against Rana in 2023 in the 26/11 attack case, he lived in a hotel in Powai and had a discussion about crowded places in South Mumbai with a person who has been listed as a witness in the case.

Subsequently, some of these places were targeted by the Pakistani terrorists during the deadly attacks that claimed 166 lives.

The terrorists targeted multiple iconic locations in Mumbai, including the Taj Mahal and Oberoi hotels, Leopold Cafe, Chabad House and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station, each of which Headley had scouted in advance.

India’s 16-year legal fight

Rana was first arrested in the US in 2009 and convicted in 2011 of supporting a terror group. However, the US court did not find enough evidence to convict him for directly participating in the Mumbai attacks, triggering strong reactions in India – including PM Modi’s now-famous tweet.

He was sentenced to 14 years in prison but was released on health grounds in 2020. Following India’s extradition request, he was re-arrested and eventually handed over after exhausting all legal appeals.

His arrival in India follows PM Modi’s visit to the US earlier this year, during which former President Donald Trump confirmed that the extradition process was underway.