BAREILLY: If Congress workers and loyalists, still warm in their hearts after Varun Gandhi recently said he will utter no word against cousin Rahul, thought the bro-code would extend from the Gandhi sons to the bahus, they were in for a sharp surprise.Moments before filing her nomination from Pilibhit on Friday, where she shifted for this election from Aonla, BJP candidate Maneka Gandhi had launched a blistering attack on sister-in-law Sonia and asked how a woman who had “brought nothing in dowry at the time of her marriage went on to become the sixth richest, according to some media reports in the West, woman in the world”.Accusing the UPA chairperson of indulging in large scale corruption, Maneka while addressing a public meeting on Thursday evening in Puranpur tehsil, under the Pilibhit parliamentary constituency, said, “Congress president jab videsh se shaadi hokar aayi thi to yahan ki janata ne unhe itna pyar aur dulaar diya. Lekin aaj videshi media ke anusaar woh duniya ki chathi amir mahila hain. Aakhir kaise?” (When she came to India as a newly-wed, Sonia Gandhi was showered with love and affection by the people of this country. But now, as per claims of the western media, she is the sixth richest woman in the world. How?)Not stopping at that, Maneka asked, “Shaadi ke samay dahej mein kuch bhi saath nahi laayi thi, tab phir itna paisa kahan se aaya. Yeh hamari zindagi, hamare bahchon ke bhawishya se aaya hai. Jo paisa unke liye road, school , bijli ke liye tha, usi ko le liya.” (She, Sonia, had brought nothing as dowry, so where did all this money come from? Perhaps by gobbling funds meant for schools, roads, power projects, and by robbing the future of our children.)The barbs did not end there. Maneka went on to accuse the UPA government of financial bungling, which she said was “100 times more than that during the time of British rulers”.Recalling the tribulations of those who took part in the freedom struggle, she said, “They faced police brutalities and braved lathis, bullets. But the UPA government in its 10-year rule has broken all records in terms of looting and plundering the country, even out-pacing the Britishers.”As news of Maneka’s vitriol spread, unhappy Congress leaders pounced on her. Congress candidate from Pilibhit Sanjay Kapoor said, “It is very unfortunate to hear such statements from a person of Maneka Gandhi’s stature. She is talking about dahej in this age where it is considered a punishable offence. Soniaji stands out as an apostle of sacrifice who turned down the post of prime minister despite having the support of more than 300 MPs. On the other hand, both Maneka and her son Varun, have always indulged in divisive politics pitting Hindus against Muslims.”