India expects its citizens to be safe in Australia

Dismissing Australian suggestions that Indian reaction on the issue of attacks was 'hysterical,' Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Thursday said India expects that its citizens, whether they are students or otherwise, should be safe in that country.

"None of us needs to be hysterical but all that we expect is that Indian's, whether they are students or otherwise, should be safe in the countries to which they go for pursuing their higher studies," he said reacting to reports of Australian government asking Indian leadership not to fuel 'hysteria' over the issue.

However, Australian High Commissioner Peter Verghese has denied the reports quoting his government's acting Foreign Minister Simon Crean as having described the Indian reaction as 'hysterical.'

"He did no such thing," the envoy said. Krishna also advised parents to be 'discreet' and better informed about the courses and the institutions while sending their children for studies in Australia.

"The kind of courses to which our students have been going are certainly not very encouraging...So I would suggest the Indian parents to be discreet. They better get informed themselves about what courses to send for and what courses not to," he said.