According to Anurag Thakur, the Congress government was only in power when the Films Division released a 40-minute film about Savarkar in 1983 and Indira Gandhi wrote a letter highlighting Savarkar’s contributions. Anurag Thakur, a Union Minister, strongly criticised Rahul Gandhi for his remark about Savarkar, saying, “he could never be Savarkar.” Rahul Gandhi denied claiming he was sorry for his remarks in London, adding that he was not Savarkar, at a press conference on Saturday after being disqualified from the Lok Sabha. “Rahul Gandhi can never be Savarkar, he did not go for vacations every six months,” Thakur said, adding Savarkar, “who was dedicated for the service of the nation did not need vacation after every Parliament session.” 

Anurag Thakur went on to accuse Rahul of insulting not only Savarkar but also Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his grandmother, Indira Gandhi. “You (Rahul Gandhi) insulted Savarkar but could have at least could have not humiliated your grandmother and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It was Congress government only when in 1983 Films Division released a 40-minute film on Savarkar and Indira Gandhi had written a letter talking about Savarkar’s contribution,” said the BJP MP. 

The leaders of the Congress party arrived at the Parliament today wearing all-black attire to express their protest following Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification on Friday of last week. Anurag Thakur also took a shot at the demonstration, claiming that Congress had ceased following the courts. “Their black clothes, black deeds will go till black magic because their bad deeds won’t hide,” he said, adding “has the Congress stopped obeying courts.”  “There is so much arrogance in Rahul Gandhi that he did not apologise to the backward people, did not apologise in the court, and is now not ready to accept the court’s judgment,” he added.