As they came back to India from the countries neighbouring Ukraine – where they were studying when Russia attacked – angry Indian students made their disapproval of the evacuation efforts clear while speaking to NDTV.

Student Divyanshu Singh said on his experience of crossing the Hungary border. “We did everything on our own. If the government had taken timely and appropriate action we would not have had to suffer so much. American citizens were the first to leave from Ukraine. In India, after leaving us to cross the border on our own, they are giving us roses when we land. What will we do with these flowers?”

Another student questioned the Indian government’s use of the term “evacuation”. “They are calling this an evacuation, but Romania is a safe country,” the student said. “How is putting us on flights to India from Romania an evacuation? Nobody from the Indian Embassy guided us to the border or helped us at the border.”

Yet another student reiterated the lack of help received to reach the border, and appealed for evacuations to be conducted for Indians stuck in the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Sumy, which were facing Russian military assault. “Reaching the border and safely crossing it is what we needed help with,” the student said. “Union Ministers entering the plane once we land and praising themselves is not nice. Evacuate students from Kharkiv and Sumy because those students have no way to get to the border right now. They have been in a bunker for seven days with nothing to eat.”