Rahul Gandhi gets caught up in translation during his speech in Kanyakumari.

KV Thangkabalu bent forward ever so slightly and listened, rapt, as Rahul Gandhi neared the end of his speech.

"...and that is why we respect the people of Tamil Nadu", the Congress president told voters in Kanyakumari, as he stood behind a podium bedecked in flowers.

Thangkabalu turned to his mic to translate.

"Narendra Modi is the enemy of the Tamil people," he said.

Surely, Rahul Gandhi caught the first two words. Perhaps he didn't.

Either way, he carried on, showing no sign of surprise or bewilderment.

On the other hand, netizens have greeted KV Thangkabalu's performance on March 13 with a collective howl of mirth.

The Congressman's translations stretched the boundaries of creative licence. To give you a sense of just how bad some of them were, here are two excerpts.

Rahul Gandhi: "All the insurance of Jammu and Kashmir was given to Mr. Anil Ambani."

KV Thangkabalu's translation: "...Jammu and Kashmir, which is an important part of India, has been handed to Anil Ambani."

Rahul Gandhi: "Anil Ambani has never built an aircraft in his life."

KV Thangkabalu's translation: "He doesn't always speak the truth."

On the internet, jokes abound.

Here's one imagined translation.

We'll leave you with this one.

The part in Tamil reads: "It appears there's excellent progress on this project."

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