A tweet from Prime Minister Narendra Modi from 14 years ago has gone viral after Tahawwur Rana, a key suspect in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was sent back to India from the United States. This tweet, posted when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2011, criticized the then Congress-led government for allowing a US court to say that Rana was not directly involved in the attacks that killed 166 people. Modi had written, “The US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in the Mumbai attack has hurt India. This is a big foreign policy failure.”
Now that Rana is finally back in India, social media is buzzing with appreciation for Modi’s persistence. Many users on X (formerly Twitter) shared the phrase, “Modi hai toh mumkin hai” meaning “If there’s Modi, it’s possible.” One user praised him, saying, “A leader who walks the talk. Captain, my captain!” Another added, “You did it, sir! Thank you!”
Rana, who holds Canadian citizenship and is originally from Pakistan, arrived in Delhi on Thursday after fighting extradition in the US for a long time. His return is a big step in India’s fight for justice for the terrible 2008 attacks. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested him as soon as he landed and got an 18-day custody order from a special court in Delhi. Officials say he played a big part in helping plan the attacks by assisting David Coleman Headley, who watched Mumbai for targets.
Headley later became a witness in the case and said Rana helped him with his immigration papers. This allowed Headley to travel around Mumbai and check out places like the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Chabad House, and CST train station—locations that were attacked by terrorists.
Rana first got arrested in the US in 2009 and was found guilty in 2011 for supporting a terror group but not for the Mumbai attacks. This decision upset many people in India, including PM Modi, who tweeted about it. He served 14 years in prison but was released on health grounds in 2020. After India requested his extradition, he was re-arrested and eventually sent back after all legal options were used up.
Rana’s return happens after PM Modi’s visit to the US earlier this year, during which former President Donald Trump said the extradition was moving forward.
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