Ahead of Mark Carney’s visit to India, the Canadian Prime Minister was reportedly working to revoke the citizenship of 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Tahawar Rana Hussain.
According to the documents he obtained Global news based in CanadaCarney’s immigration officials were instructed to strip the mastermind of the terrorist attack of his Canadian citizenship, which he obtained in 2001.
Tahawar Rana, the mastermind of the 26/11 attack, which killed 166 people, was extradited from the US to India in April 2025. He was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) the moment he stepped off the plane in New Delhi.
Rana, who is also a key aide to his colleague David Coleman Headley, the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks, was extradited after a long legal battle.
“The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ordered his extradition on May 16, 2023. Rana then filed several lawsuits in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, all of which were denied. He subsequently filed a petition for certiorari, two habeas corpus petitions, and an emergency motion before the US Supreme Court, which were also denied. Extradition proceedings between the two countries were initiated after India finally obtained a surrender warrant for the terrorist wanted by the US government.” Read the statement issued by the NIA after Rana’s arrest.
Canada is working to revoke her citizenship
The 65-year-old was convicted in the United States in 2009 for planning an attack against employees of a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, Global News Canada reported.
With Rana now in India, awaiting trial on charges he planned the 26/11 attacks with the Pakistani terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, Canada is working to strip him of his citizenship.
However, this revocation comes not because of the terrorism charges against Rana, but because Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada believes he lied on his application form.
When Hussain applied for citizenship in 2000, he claimed to have lived in Ottawa and Toronto for the past four years, with only a six-day absence from the country, the IRCC document said.
However, an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police showed that Rana spent most of his time in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. He also owned several properties and businesses during his time in Chicago.
IRCC charged Rana with “serious and willful deception” and “disrespect for Canadian citizenship laws.”
“Your case is one in which you appear to have misrepresented your residency in Canada during the citizenship application process by intentionally failing to declare your absence from Canada,” read IRCC’s letter to Rana on May 31, 2024.
Despite this move, challenges remain for Canada. If the Federal Court of Canada approves this revocation, Rana will remain a permanent resident of the country and can reapply for citizenship after 10 years.
Karney is visiting India this week
Amid India’s tense relations with Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit New Delhi on February 26. This visit to India comes as Carney moves to improve relations and expand Canadian trade outside the United States.
After his stop in India, the Canadian Prime Minister will visit Australia and Japan.
The Labor leader’s visit also marks cooperation between Ottawa and Delhi in the wake of the collapse of diplomatic relations after Justin Trudeau’s government accused India of plotting to assassinate Canadian Sikh citizen Hardeep Singh Nigar.
India has designated Naggar a terrorist for his involvement in the Khalistan movement, a separatist movement that seeks to create a Sikh homeland.
