- Sunday, April 20, 2025
While some said Subramanian Swamy was trying to malign the Indian PM, others said there was nothing wrong if the actor’s help was taken as it showed the global reach of India’s soft power.
By: Shubham Ghosh
SUBRAMANIAN Swamy is no stranger to controversies. He never hesitates to criticise prime minister Narendra Modi despite being a member of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Tuesday (13), the veteran former parliamentarian slammed the prime minister over his upcoming visit to Qatar, a country which on Monday (12) released eight Indian navy veterans who were given punishment by a court in the Middle Eastern nation for alleged espionage.
In a post on X in replying to Modi’s message prior to his departure for the UAE and Qatar on Tuesday, Swamy mocked him saying the former should take Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan to Qatar alleging that it was the latter who had helped him to convince the Qatari authorities to free the navy veterans and not the external affairs ministry or the national security advisor.
“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,” Swamy, 84, said at a time when the entire country, including the former navy officials, were thanking the prime minister for getting them released. Experts called it a major success of the Modi government’s Middle East policy.
Read: Modi in Qatar on Feb 14, announcement comes on day Doha freed 8 jailed Indians
Qatar Prime Minister HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani welcomes Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan as he attends AFC Final in Doha as Special Guest of Honor.
World’s biggest star for a reason ?@iamsrk #Qatar #ShahRukhKhan #Doha #Bollywood #SRK… pic.twitter.com/f5JcsDDZk2— Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) February 11, 2024
Khan was recently seen being greeted by Qatari prime minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The 58-year-old actor was reportedly in Doha to attend the final of the AFC Asian Cup football tournament played between Qatar and Jordan as a special guest of honour.
Read: Modi invites Indian diaspora members to attend ‘Ahlan Modi’ in Abu Dhabi: ‘Do join’
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
Swamy responded to a post by Modi that said, “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. I am eager to meet my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed. 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 @HHShkMohd
in Dubai. I look forward to meeting HH Sheikh @TamimBinHamad, under whose leadership Qatar is witnessing immense growth.”
The Indian PM will have an eventful visit as besides engaging with the Indian diaspora in Abu Dhabi at an event called ‘Ahlan Modi’, he will speak at the World Government Summit in Dubai and inaugurate the BAPS Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. He will also meet top leaders in the UAE besides heading for Qatar, a country that he had visited in 2016.
It may be mentioned here that the UAE president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, was in the Indian state of Gujarat last month to be the chief guest at the ‘Vibrant Gujarat 2024’ event.
Several social media users lashed out at Swamy over his post with one saying his attack against Modi was “sickening to the core”. While some refused to believe him, there were others who said there was nothing wrong in using an actor as it showed the global reach of India’s soft power.
This is sickening to the core,the hatred towards Modi has made swamy go from bad to worse.
— Maarwadi?? (@Marwadi99) February 13, 2024
Another said it didn’t suit the stature of a national leader like him.
Such comments from an established leader shows you are getting sick, day by day.
Your levels are deteriorating.
Refrain from such things, don't suit national level political leaders.
— Rishi Choudhary ?? (@RishiRahar) February 13, 2024
Here are some other reactions:
Modi BJP is known for SURRENDERING to all foreign powers. This time tiny Qatar.
— Mahesh (@the_mighty_mr) February 13, 2024
SS has become irrelevant in politics now.
— Amit P (@AmitPaati) February 13, 2024
SRK THE NATIONAL BRAND OF INDIA
— ShahPathy Army? (@Srkians_Amit) February 13, 2024
This is why #SRK? is soft power of nation… Global star and above all a King ?
— Jewel srkian (@Jewel394249) February 13, 2024
