Claim:
A 14-year-old post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resurfaced on social media after Tahawwur Rana, one of the accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was extradited from the United States to India. In the viral post, originally made in 2011, Modi criticized the then-Congress-led UPA government, stating that the United States had “disgraced the sovereignty of India” by declaring Rana “innocent”.
The Viral Post:
“US declaring Tahawwur Rana innocent in Mumbai attack has disgraced the sovereignty of India & it is a major foreign policy setback.”
This old statement is now being widely shared online, with many using it as evidence of Modi’s long-standing concern over India’s global standing and approach to terrorism. But what does the legal record actually say?
The Reality Check:
The 2011 Verdict in the United States:
In 2011, a U.S. federal court ruled that Tahawwur Rana was not guilty of direct involvement in the planning of the Mumbai terror attacks. However, this was not a declaration of his innocence in general.
Instead, Rana was found guilty of providing material support to a designated terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and of being involved in a conspiracy to attack a Danish newspaper known for publishing controversial cartoons of the Prophet. He was subsequently convicted and served time in a U.S. prison.
Importantly, the U.S. court’s jurisdiction was limited. The court did not evaluate Indian evidence on the Mumbai attacks nor did it have access to all materials provided by Indian authorities.
Therefore, the assertion that Rana was “declared innocent” is legally inaccurate. He was convicted of terror-related crimes, though not directly linked to 26/11 under the U.S. legal system.
Modi’s 2011 Political Standpoint:
At the time of the post, Narendra Modi was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and was a vocal critic of the Congress-led UPA government. His tweet reflected a larger sentiment of dissatisfaction over how India’s global influence was being perceived — particularly in matters of terrorism and sovereignty.
While the language in the post was politically assertive, it did not accurately reflect the full judicial outcome of the U.S. trial. It was more of a rhetorical rebuke of the Congress government’s perceived inability to secure justice on the global stage.
Current Relevance – April 2025:
Following years of legal procedures, Tahawwur Rana has now been extradited to India and was brought to Delhi on April 10, 2025. He is presently in custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for 18 days, and Indian authorities will now investigate his role in the Mumbai attacks under Indian law.
This development has renewed public interest in the 2011 verdict and Modi’s comments, but the matter should be assessed with clarity and legal understanding.
Conclusion:
The tweet posted by Narendra Modi in 2011 is genuine, and reflects the political sentiment of that time. However, the interpretation that Rana was “declared innocent” by the U.S. is misleading. He was convicted of supporting terrorism — just not for the 26/11 attacks due to legal and jurisdictional limitations.
As of now, India will have the opportunity to prosecute him fully under its own anti-terror laws.