Tearful Sanjay Pandit from Kashmir thanked the government for evacuating his son who was stranded in Ukraine’s Sumy. He said, “I want to say that it is Modi ji’s son who has returned, not my son.” An emotional Pandita said he was not hopeful of his son’s return due to the conflict situation in Sumy and was thankful to the government.

He is Modi’s son, not mine, says emotional father as son returns from Ukraine

“We had no hopes given the circumstances in Sumy. I am thankful to GoI for evacuating my son,” he said.

Emotions ran high as the students came out of the Delhi airport and hugged their parents, who had been waiting there for five-six hours to see their children.

With tears in their eyes, many parents and family members distributed sweets and garlanded their children while others welcomed them with bouquets and hugs after their arrival.

Slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Modi hai to Mumkin Hai” were also raised by some family members.

Three flights carrying 674 people, mostly students, evacuated from the conflict-ridden city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine landed in Delhi on Friday, with the returnees recounting the horror they went through and how they survived the war for two weeks.

Two aircraft with 461 people — one of Air India and the other of IndiGo — arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5.45 am and 12.20 pm while the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-17 carrying 213 passengers landed at the Hindon airbase at 12.15 pm.