New Delhi/IBNS: The extradition of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Tahawwur Rana from the US has sparked a political slugfest with the Congress claiming that the process was started during the UPA rule in 2009 and, therefore, the NDA government should not take the entire credit.

"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," former Union minister P Chidambaram said in a statement, available with the media.

"This extradition is not the result of any grandstanding, it is a testament to what the Indian state can achieve when diplomacy, law enforcement, and international cooperation are pursued sincerely and without any kind of chest-thumping," the statement added.

Asked about the matter this evening, Chidambaram stood by his statement. "They (the NDA government) can take credit for what they have done now. But they should also give credit to the previous government which has done a lot. The government of India is a continuity," he told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a key conspirator in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has been extradited from the United States and arrived in Delhi on Thursday afternoon, media reports said.

He is now in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and is expected to stand trial at a special NIA court in the capital.

Extradition complete, NIA begins arrest process

A special flight carrying Rana landed at Delhi’s Palam technical area around 2:50 pm, reported India Today.

Shortly after his arrival, NIA officials placed him under arrest.

Sources said he will be produced before a designated NIA court in Delhi, possibly at Patiala House.