Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Friday credited the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for laying the groundwork that eventually led to the extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack accused Tahawwur Rana from the United States to India.

Addressing reporters, Sibal highlighted the formation and early action of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), established under the UPA regime in response to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Sibal, a former Union minister, emphasized that the NIA was set up by the UPA just a month after the devastating attacks that left 166 people dead. “I remember the NIA was established during UPA times. It registered a case in this incident on November 11, 2009, where the accused were David Headley and Tahawwur Rana,” he stated.

He noted that the NIA had expressed dissatisfaction at the time when US authorities failed to include certain charges against Rana. Despite initial setbacks, Indian agencies pursued the investigation diligently, eventually leading to a breakthrough in the form of Rana’s extradition.

Tahawwur Rana, a 64-year-old Pakistani-Canadian national, was formally arrested on Thursday evening after being extradited from the US. The move follows a protracted legal battle during which Rana sought to block his extradition through multiple appeals, all of which were ultimately rejected.

Upon his arrival, the NIA produced Rana before a special court and was granted 18-day custody for interrogation. The agency is expected to take him to various locations as part of a broader effort to reconstruct the conspiracy behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Sibal also spoke about the critical link between Rana and co-accused David Headley. “Through mutual assistance, the NIA team reached America and examined Headley, who was under custody there. The conspiracy was uncovered as this happened,” he said.

He further added, “Today, the accused is before us, and things will become clearer. We know that only Tahawwur Rana and David Headley were not the conspirators, but more were involved.”

According to investigators, Rana was made aware of the attack plans by Headley prior to his visit to India. Their email exchanges have been cited as vital evidence in the ongoing probe. Officials believe that the conspiracy may extend beyond Mumbai, possibly involving planned attacks in other Indian cities.

While appreciating the current government’s efforts in successfully securing Rana’s extradition, Sibal made it a point to recognize the foundation laid by the previous Congress-led government. “I congratulate the UPA government for their efforts and also our government for their efforts, which have been successful. We have Tahawwur Rana in India today,” he concluded.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government’s ‘Employment Linked Incentive’ (ELI) scheme. Accusing Modi of crafting catchy slogans while neglecting the youth’s job prospects, Gandhi questioned whether the much-touted initiative was merely “another jumla” (empty promise).

Gandhi pointed out that following the 2024 general election, Modi had unveiled the ELI scheme with great pomp, promising to deliver employment opportunities to India’s youth. “Nearly a year has passed since its announcement, yet the government hasn’t even defined the scheme and has reportedly returned the ₹10,000 crore allocated for it,” he claimed, highlighting what he described as a lack of seriousness about tackling unemployment. The government has not yet responded to these allegations.

Criticizing the Modi administration’s approach, Gandhi argued that genuine job creation cannot rely solely on favoring large corporations, promoting cronies over fair competition, emphasizing assembly over production, or ignoring India’s homegrown skills. “The real path to generating crores of jobs lies in massive investments in MSMEs, fostering fair markets where competition thrives, boosting local production networks, and equipping our youth with the right skills,” he asserted.

Turning his critique directly to the Prime Minister, Gandhi asked, “Prime Minister ji, you launched ELI with grand showmanship—where has this ₹10,000 crore scheme vanished? Have you abandoned our unemployed youth along with your promises?” He pressed further, “While you churn out new slogans daily, our youth are still waiting for tangible opportunities. What is your concrete plan to create the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?”

Gandhi also took aim at Modi’s economic priorities, questioning when the Prime Minister would shift his focus from “enriching Adani and his billionaire friends” to ensuring equitable job access for young people from marginalized communities. “The youth deserve more than hollow announcements—they need action,” he emphasized

In a politically significant development, the BJP has invited nominations for the post of Tamil Nadu state president, just ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Chennai. The move has sparked renewed attention on the party’s internal dynamics and potential revival of ties with its former ally, the AIADMK.

The BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, hours before Shah’s arrival on Thursday night, announced that contenders for the top state post must have at least ten years of party membership. This condition effectively excludes the current state chief K Annamalai from contesting, as he joined the party in 2020 and became state president in 2021 — within 11 months of joining.

Although the rule existed earlier, a senior party leader clarified that its enforcement depends on the party’s high command, indicating potential flexibility.

Shah’s Tamil Nadu visit and key meetings

Amit Shah’s trip marks his first to Tamil Nadu since the BJP and AIADMK restarted informal alliance talks in March. During the visit, the Home Minister is expected to meet senior BJP leaders and press representatives, followed by a discussion with RSS ideologue and Thuglaq editor S Gurumurthy. Annamalai also met Gurumurthy on Thursday evening at the latter’s Mylapore residence.

Annamalai confirmed Shah’s visit, stating, “He often comes to take ground-level feedback. As of now, I’m only authorised to say that he is coming and will leave tomorrow evening.”

Alliance talks in focus ahead of 2026 polls

The timing of the leadership selection and Shah’s visit has intensified speculation about alliance talks with the AIADMK, which broke ties with the BJP in 2023, blaming Annamalai’s remarks on Dravidian party founders. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) had met Shah in New Delhi on March 26, sparking rumours of reconciliation ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Though Shah later hinted at a potential alliance via a post on X, EPS denied any specific discussions, saying decisions will be made closer to the elections.

Besides Annamalai, the membership clause also affects another potential contender — Tirunelveli MLA Nainar Nagendran, who joined the BJP in 2017. Despite being the party’s floor leader in the state assembly, his eight-year tenure falls short of the eligibility mark.

Political tensions with ruling DMK escalate

Amit Shah also used the visit to attack the DMK-led government, accusing it of corruption. “Tamil Nadu people are fed up with DMK’s corruption. That’s why DMK is using the delimitation issue as a cover-up,” he posted on X. The DMK hit back, with organising secretary RS Bharathi accusing the BJP of misusing federal agencies to target opposition parties.

Bharathi noted that Shah had also levelled similar corruption allegations during his 2018 visit — a time when the AIADMK, now BJP’s former ally, was in power.