NEW DELHI: BJP leader with X post that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's intervention was behind the release of eight Indian navy veterans who were sentenced to death in Qatar. BJP leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought Shah Rukh Khan's help to release the sailors from the Qatari jail. Swamy's comment came under the Prime Minister's social media post regarding his visit to Qatar.

"Modi should take Cinema star Sharuk Khan 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.'- this was what Subramanian Swamy noted.

Modi should take Cinema star Sharuk Khan 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.

— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) February 13, 2024

Shahrukh Khan's office responded online to the incident. “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,” it was posted on X.

From the office of Mr. Shah Rukh Khan pic.twitter.com/s7Kwwhmd6j

— Pooja Dadlani (@pooja_dadlani) February 13, 2024

Seven of the eight sailors, including a Malayali, who were in prison with a death penalty, returned by dawn yesterday after the punishment was revoked. One's journey is delayed due to travel documents. The Centre had informed that the Prime Minister would personally meet the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to thank him for the release of the sailors.

The acquitted persons are Rakesh Gopakumar, former captains Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Saurabh Vashishth, former commanders Amit Nagpal, Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala and Sanjeev Gupta. The eight Indian nationals were imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022. They are accused of leaking information to Israel about Qatar's plan to buy high-tech Italian submarines that can evade radars. On October 26, the trial court awarded the death sentence. An appeals court overturned the conviction in December following India's appeal and diplomatic moves.