The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrests Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the key conspirator in the deadly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (April 10, 2025) said the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Hussain Rana was a reflection of the new India’s resolve under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of zero tolerance towards Pakistan-sponsored “Islamic terrorism”.
Tahawwur Rana extradition LIVE updates
At a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Rana’s was not an ordinary extradition, as it was a manifestation of Mr. Modi’s firm action against terrorism. In 2019, the Prime Minister had said that anyone threatening the unity, integrity, security, and identity of India or any Indian would be brought to justice.
Stating that the BJP never allowed vote bank politics to dominate national interests, Mr. Poonawalla said the motto of new India was neither to forgive and nor forget the terrorists, track them down wherever they are and make them face the law.
He said the extradition was a big step towards justice not only for the Indian victims but also for those from several other countries, including the United States, Israel, France, Germany, Italy, and Malaysia, who were killed in the terror attacks. He paid homage to the police and security personnel/officers who laid down their lives.
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Stating that in the last 10 years, the government’s attitude towards terrorism had changed, owing to which terror activities in the country had drastically reduced, the BJP leader said between 2004 and 2014, “there was not a single month” without any terrorist attack in any major city.
‘Mute spectator’
“Delhi in 2005, Varanasi in 2006, Lucknow in 2007, Jaipur in 2008, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Agra…Pune…Bodh Gaya; terror attacks in different places had become normal. Whenever there was a terror attack, the standard operating procedure was to remain a mute spectator and only present arguments and reports on international forums, but no concrete action was taken…,” he said, adding that over 700 civilians would be killed every year in terror attacks.
“Earlier, in the name of vote bank, a soft corner was adopted towards terrorism…today, air strikes and surgical strikes are done…instead of exposing Pakistan on international forums, between 2004 and 2014, a sinister attempt was made to put the blame on the people of India and also on the Indian security agencies, by shifting the blame from Pakistan,” said Mr. Poonawalla.
He said attempts were made to create a fake narrative of “Hindu terror” and the RSS was also targeted over the Mumbai terror attacks.
“The way the Modi government has brought back about 17/18 such fugitives from many countries through global diplomacy on international forums in the last few years, whether it is from the United Arab Emirates or Thailand or the U.S., it is also symbolic of India’s diplomatic victory, its growing diplomatic stature and political global influence,” he said.
“Today you must have seen that in many domestic terrorism cases, whether it is the Ahmedabad blast or the blasts in different cities in different States, our enforcement and prosecution agencies have secured convictions. This is possible because we have given them legal power and a free hand to prosecute whoever is involved in terrorism,” said the BJP leader, adding that decisive action had also been taken against another form of terrorism, “Naxalism”.
Published – April 10, 2025 11:07 pm IST
