New Delhi [India], April 10 : Calling the Mumbai attacks and Tahawwur Rana's extradition to India a "monumental triumph," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan on Thursday said the extradition was possible because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "foremost and paramount commitment" to India's national security and national interest.
"This extradition is a milestone and a monumental triumph for Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's firm policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and zero tolerance against India's enemies. This is also a standing testimony. To Prime Minister Modi ji's unswerving and iron will, commitment, and resolve to bring to justice and punish those terrorists and enemies of India who threatened and dared to attack Indian territory, Indian honour, and Indian people," Kesavan said in a self-made video.
He further attacked the Congress party and said that the Congress-led government was weak, indecisive
"This has been made possible by this extradition because of Narendra Modi ji's foremost and paramount commitment to India's national security and national interest. Why I'm reiterating this is because previously, when the attacks happened in 2008, the Congress-led government was weak, indecisive. And we saw how, you know, they trivialised even the attack when it was happening when these horrendous terrorist attacks were happening. The union home minister of the Congress Party, one who changed his attire thrice during the same day, and the Chief Minister of the state at that time when he visited an important victim site where this terrorist attack had happened and he was visiting for the first time, he was accompanied by his actress and a director," he said.
"We thank our Prime Minister for, you know, showing such steel, resolve and commitment when it comes to national security and the national interest of our country," the BJP leader added.
Meanwhile, the Central Government appointed Advocate Narender Mann as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct trials and other matters related to National Investigation Agency case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI against Tahawwur Hussain Rana and David Coleman Headley, who is in a US Prison following a plea deal.
"In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 15 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 (34 of 2008), read with sub-section (8) of section 18 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), the Central Government hereby appoints Narender Mann, Advocate as Special Public Prosecutor for conducting trial and other matters related to NIA case RC-04/2009/NIA/DLI on behalf of the National Investigation Agency before the NIA Special Courts at Delhi and Appellate Courts, for a period of 3 years from the date of publication of this notification or till the completion of trial of the said case, whichever is earlier," the Ministry of Home Affairs notified on April 9.
Rana is being extradited to India, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take custody of him upon arrival.
Earlier on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the extradition of Tahawwur Rana, accused in the 26/11 terror attacks, is a "big success" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government's diplomacy.
"It is the responsibility of the Indian government to bring back all those who have misbehaved with the land and people of India under the law of the country. Tahawwur Rana's (26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused) extradition is a very big diplomatic success of the Modi government, because the governments under whose rule the bomb blasts took place could not bring him back," Amit Shah said.
The US Secretary of State had signed the surrender warrant authorizing 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 U.S. Supreme Court denied Rana's petition for a stay of his extradition.
Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian national, was convicted in the US for the banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives and providing material support to the group responsible for the Mumbai attacks that killed over 174 people.
The Indian government has been seeking his extradition for years, and the US Supreme Court's recent decision has paved the way for his transfer to India.
Rana's extradition marks a significant step in the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.