New Delhi:Hours after eight Navy veterans jailed in Qatar on espionage charges were freed, the Bharatiya Janata Party termed the development a "big diplomatic win" for India. The eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel were freed by a Qatari court nearly three-and-a-half months after they were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage.
"It seemed at one point in time it would be very difficult to make it happen. But they have come back safe and sound. That is great news for every Indian. It shows how much the words of the Indian foreign ministry and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) matter," BJP Spokesperson Shazia Ilmi said on Monday. "It is a big diplomatic win for India. It shows how India has negotiated so well that we have our Navy veterans back," she said.
In a similar tone, Union Minister Smriti Irani also credited the government for the release of the former Navy personnel asserting that the protection of interests of Indians, wherever they may be, has been a priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Irani told reporters that the manner in which the Navy veterans have returned to India is due to the government's special efforts.