Tahawwur Rana Extradited, But What About Others, Ask Sena UBT, Maharashtra Congress

Shiv Sena UBT's Saamana criticised the Centre for failing to bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav. Reacting to Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar's remarks, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "They have to make such statements because they are in the opposition...They should have congratulated PM Modi."

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26/11 plotter Tahawwur Hussain Rana with NIA officials after his extradition in New Delhi. (IMAGE: SOURCED)

From the Congress questioning the move ahead of the Mumbai civic polls to Sena UBT listing the others who are yet to be brought in, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government’s extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a key conspirator of 26/11 terror attacks, led to strong reactions from the parties in the opposition in Maharashtra.

Both the Centre and state had Congress-led governments at the time of the 2008 attacks.

WHAT ABOUT KULBHUSHAN JADHAV, ASKS SAAMANA

Saamana, mouthpiece of Shiv Sena UBT, in its editorial criticised the central government for failing to bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav. “The return of Tahawwur Rana to India from the US is being projected as a grand diplomatic success by the Modi government…But let’s step back. This extradition was not sudden. India began pursuing Rana’s extradition way back during the Manmohan Singh era. The legal battle in American courts went on for 18 years, with India consistently presenting its case. Finally, after all legal options were exhausted, Rana was handed over. This was a legal and political process between two countries — not a one-man show," it said.

“When Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, Congress didn’t throw a celebration. Salem’s trial happened, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment. No ‘Salem Festival’ happened. But today, social media is flooded with ‘Rana Festival’ posts. Rana helped Pakistani American David Headley plan the 26/11 attacks. He even helped scout sensitive sites like Shiv Sena Bhavan, which was reportedly a target. The police and intelligence agencies did a tremendous job uncovering this conspiracy. If not for their investigation, names like Headley and Rana may never have surfaced," it stated.

“Why is no one talking about Kulbhushan Jadhav? He’s still in a Pakistani prison. Jadhav was allegedly kidnapped from Afghanistan and accused of being a spy. There is no clarity on his condition. If the government could bring Rana from the US, why can’t it bring back Jadhav from Pakistan? Also, why haven’t Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Lalit Modi, or even Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon been brought back? We hear slogans like, ‘We’ll go into Pakistan and get them.’ But little is done. Bringing Jadhav home would mean real diplomacy," it added.

‘WHAT ABOUT DAWOOD?’ MAHARASHTRA CONGRESS REACTS

Ashok Chavan, who had replaced Congress’s Vilasrao Deshmukh as the CM after the attacks and is now an MP from the BJP, said, “It is definitely a victory for India…The 26/11 attacks are still fresh in the minds of people of India, particularly Mumbai. It was a terrorist attack sponsored by Pakistan… This is a big victory for India and a big victory on diplomatic levels as well as the legal side. It has been handled very well due to the strategies of PM Modi…"

Congress’s Vijay Wadettiwar said, “Rana has been brought to India from a US prison…Now, he will be used by the BJP in the civic elections…I am happy that Rana has been brought here. However, everyone knows the mastermind behind the Mumbai blasts. If Rana can be brought, why not the notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim? What is that courage not shown?"

Congress’s Sushilkumar Shinde said, “We were also trying and the BJP government also tried…This government has done a good thing. We compliment them, there is nothing wrong in complimenting because this was a long-standing issue."

NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter and MP Supriya Sule said, “Of course we welcome it. Anybody who’s done crime in India and has fled must be brought back."

Pawar had replaced RR Patil as the state home minister following his remark on the attacks.

MAHARASHTRA BJP REACTS

Reacting to Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar’s remarks, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “They have to make such statements because they are in the opposition…They should have congratulated PM Modi."

WARRING, CHIDAMBARAM NOT IMPRESSED

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Thursday said, “They’re bringing Rana as if they’ve made Trump waive tariffs — what great feat have they achieved?"

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P Chidambaram, Congress leader who was made the Union home minister after Shivraj Patil resigned in the wake of the attacks, too, refused to give credit to the BJP government. “This extradition is the culmination of a decade and a half of painstaking diplomatic, legal and intelligence efforts which were initiated, led, and sustained by the UPA government in close coordination with the United States…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…These are not ‘strong leader’ moments, but are the slow wheels of justice, pushed forward by years of hard work."

On extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India, Congress National Spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil said, “… His investigation was completed before 2013. In our MLAT, three NIA officials had gone to the US, and the US government had given us evidence against Tahawwur Rana. Salman Khurshid and Nirupama Rao had maintained political and diplomatic pressure, as a result of which, Tahawwur Rana was under trial in the US, and after that, his extradition to India was ascertained. Those who say we were soft on terror, they need to know that we have hanged two terrorists…"

Location :
Mumbai, India, India

First Published:
April 11, 2025, 13:23 IST