A day after the release of 8 Indian Navy veterans from Qatari prison, Subramanian Swamy claimed on Tuesday (13th February) that the safe return of the ex-personnel to India was facilitated by actor Shah Rukh Khan and not the Modi government.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi informed that he would be on a 2-day visit to Qatar and UAE. “Over the next two days, I will be visiting UAE and Qatar to attend various programmes, which will deepen India’s bilateral relations with these nations. My visit to UAE will be my seventh since assuming office, indicating the priority we attach to strong India-UAE friendship,” he tweeted.
“I am eager to meet my brother, HH Mohamed Bin Zayed. I will have the honour of inaugurating the first Hindu Mandir in UAE. I will also address the Indian Community at a community programme in Abu Dhabi. I will also speak at the @WorldGovSummit and meet HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai. I look forward to meeting HH Tamim Bin Hamad, under whose leadership Qatar is witnessing immense growth,” he added.
Veteran politician Subramanian Swamy descended onto the timeline of the Indian Prime Minister and alleged that he and the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval failed to secure the release of the 8 retired Indian Navy personnel.
Swamy, who is notorious for peddling fake news, claimed that the Qatari government released the veterans at the request of actor Shah Rukh Khan.
“Modi should take cinema star Sharuk Khan (sic) to Qatar with him since after MEA and NSA had failed to persuade the Shiekhs of Qatar, Modi pleaded with Khan to intervene , and thus got an expensive settlement from the Qatar Shiekhs to free our Naval officers,” he brazened out.
This is however not the first time that Subramanian Swamy made such outrageous claims to hog the spotlight. He had earlier claimed that PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were conspiring to ‘assassinate’ him. Frustrated for not being made the Finance Minister of India, Swamy had heaped praise on the likes of Mamata Banerjee.
SRK rubbishes claims by Subramanian Swamy
On Tuesday (13th February) evening, the Office of Shah Rukh Khan dismissed the sweeping claims by Subramanian Swamy.
The statement read,
“Regarding the reports concerning Shah Rukh Khan’s purported role in the release of India’s naval officers from Qatar, the office of Mr. Shah Rukh Khan says that any such assertions of his involvement are unfounded, emphasizing the execution of this successful resolution solely rests with the Indian government officials and unequivocally denies Mr. Khan’s participation in this matter. Additionally, all matters involving diplomacy and statecraft are best executed by our very able leaders. Mr. Khan like many other Indians is happy that the naval officers are home safe and wishes them all the best.“
From the office of Mr. Shah Rukh Khan pic.twitter.com/s7Kwwhmd6j
— Pooja Dadlani (@pooja_dadlani) February 13, 2024
Indian Navy personnel thank PM Modi for intervention
On 12th February, eight Indian Navy veterans who were given the death penalty in Qatar four months ago were finally released from captivity. Ministry of External Affairs thanked the Amir of the State of Qatar for enabling the release and home-coming of the Indian nationals.
Seven of the eight Indian Navy veterans have returned to India. Notably, they were sentenced to death on the accusations of espionage. The release has been possible only because of the diplomatic efforts made by the Indian government and the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. The government of India also provided legal assistance to them as required.
Speaking to ANI, the Navy veterans lauded PM Modi for raising the matter with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. They attributed their release to relentless diplomatic efforts at his behest.
One Navy veteran said, “I feel relieved and delighted to be back home safe and sound finally. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar.”
Another veteran added, “Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn’t be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom.”
