Now, four of them, Singh, Sinha, Fernandes and Mishra, have spoken the truth. Moreover, without the consent of the (then) home minister Advani, the arrested prisoners (including Jaish-E-Mohammed founder Maulana Masood Azhar) could never have been released,' Pawar said.

Pawar sarcastically remarked that the BJP, which claims to be a party with a difference, has proved that it is 'indeed different when it came to handling the nation's security' at the time of the IC aircraft hijack.

He further said that Advani's explanation that 'he was not aware of' and 'he did now know' of the terrorist-hostage swap decision are not correct. Pawar also expressed his gratitude for the patriotism displayed by the four men by speaking out the truth.