New Delhi [India], April 10 (ANI): Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday criticised the Modi government for taking 'credit' for the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai attack accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana, saying that it was the result of years of 'UPA-era groundwork.'

'In February 2025, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump stood at a press conference and tried to take credit for what was essentially the result of years of UPA-era groundwork. By February 17, Indian officials confirmed Rana's role in the 26/11 conspiracy, dating back to 2005, when he coordinated with LeT and ISI operatives. Finally, on April 8, 2025, US authorities handed over Rana to Indian officials. He arrived in New Delhi on April 10,' Chidambaram said in a statement.

Chidambaram asserted that the Modi government did not initiate the extradition process; rather, it merely benefited from the consistent and strategic diplomacy that was begun under the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government (2004-2014). He was the Union Home minister from 2008 to 2012.

'Let the facts be clear: the Modi government did not initiate this process, nor did it secure any new breakthrough. It merely benefited from the mature, consistent, and strategic diplomacy begun under the UPA. This extradition is not the result of any grandstanding, it is a testament to what the Indian state can achieve when diplomacy, law enforcement, and international cooperation are pursued sincerely and without any kind of chest-thumping,' Chidambaram added.

Rana is being extradited to India, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take custody of him upon arrival.

The US Secretary of State had signed the surrender warrant authorising Rana's extradition to Indian authorities on February 11. Rana's legal counsel subsequently filed an emergency stay motion seeking to challenge that order. On April 7, the US Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a stay of his extradition.

Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for being an operative of the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people in multiple terrorist attacks that occurred from November 26 to 29, 2008.

Rana's extradition marks a significant step in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. (ANI)