Seven of the eight Indian Navy veterans, who were freed by a Qatar court months after being sentenced to death on ‘espionage’ charges, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their arrival in New Delhi on Monday morning. Some of the veterans told reporters that they would not have been released if he hadn’t made continuous diplomatic efforts to get their release.
At the Delhi airport, the seven former Indian Navy officers, relieved to be free at last, chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” reported news agency ANI.
One of the Navy veterans praised Modi for bringing up their sentence with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, and said that Modi’s continuous diplomatic efforts were the reason behind their release. “I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. 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,” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "It wouldn't have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India." pic.twitter.com/bcwEWvWIDK
— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024
Another released former navy officer told ANI, “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.”