Amid recent claims by former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy, Shah Rukh Khan's office on Tuesday, February 13, categorically rejected reports suggesting the actor's involvement in the release of Indian naval officers from Qatar.
In an official statement, the office emphasised that such assertions are unfounded, attributing the successful resolution solely to the efforts of Indian government officials.
"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.Khans participation in this matter," the statement said.
The statement explicitly denies Khan's participation in the matter, highlighting the capable leadership responsible for diplomatic initiatives.
"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," it added.
The controversy arose when Subramanian Swamy alleged that Shah Rukh Khan played a crucial role in persuading the Qatar government to release eight Indian Navy veterans facing espionage charges.
In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's post, Swamy claimed, "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."
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
Shah Rukh Khan's team promptly issued a statement refuting Swamy's claims, asserting the actor's non-participation in the release of the naval officers.
The actor was recently in Qatar to attend the AFC Asian Cup final as a special guest of honour, where he was seen being greeted by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
In an official statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel have returned to India from Qatar. The eighth veteran remains in Doha, awaiting the completion of official formalities.
The navy veterans had been detained in August 2022 on allegations of espionage, with Qatari authorities accusing them of spying on a submarine. They were jailed in the same month.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
First Published: Feb 13, 2024 6:06 PM IST
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