Mumbai: Renowned Bollywood figure Shah Rukh Khan has dismissed recent claims suggesting his involvement in the release of eight Indian Navy veterans from Qatar.
The controversy arose when former Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy alleged that Shah Rukh Khan played a pivotal role in persuading the Qatar government to release the aforementioned veterans who had been held on espionage charges.
Swamy’s statement, made in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s post on X, implied that Modi sought Khan’s intervention after diplomatic channels had failed.
However, Shah Rukh Khan’s team swiftly refuted these claims in a statement issued by his manager, Pooja Dadlani, on Instagram.
The statement reads – “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.”
“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,” the statement further added.
The statement further asserts that matters of diplomacy and statecraft are best handled by competent leaders, while expressing Khan’s joy over the safe return of the naval officers.
Shah Rukh Khan’s recent visit to Qatar to attend the AFC Final as a special guest of honor had garnered attention. Photographs of him being greeted by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani circulated widely.
Earlier on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel had returned to India from Qatar.
The veterans had been detained in August 2022 on allegations of espionage, with Qatari authorities accusing them of spying on a submarine.
