Vadakkan not a big leader, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday made light of family loyalist Tom Vadakkan's decision to join the BJP.

Gandhi said Vadaakkan was not a big leader.

"Vadakkan? Vadakkan is not a big leader," Gandhi told reporters at Raipur airport before leaving for Odisha tour.

In a huge embarrassment to the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, its spokesperson Tom Vadakkan, once a key aide of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, joined the BJP Thursday and attacked his former party for its stand on Balakot air strikes.

Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over unemployment, farmers distressand alleged corruption in the Rafale deal with France.

"There are three issues in the country. The biggest issue is of unemployment. Narendra Modi has failed (to create employment opportunities). The other issue is of corruption. You must have heard about Rafale. PM has put Rs 30,000 crore in the pocket of businessman Anil Ambani," he said.

The third issue is of farmers. We (Congress) waived off loans of farmers in Chhattisgarh within two days (of coming to power). Narendra Modi talked about farmers for five years of his rule and keeps on talking about them," he said.

Gandhi claimed Modi gave money of farmers, which they had given for (crop) insurance, to "people like Anil Ambani".