With her remark, Uma Bharti today took the political discourse a notch lower.
Union minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday took the political discourse a notch lower by terming Congress's Priyanka Gandhi Vadra the "Chor ki Patni (the wife of a thief)".
Asked about the impact Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will have in the ongoing national elections, the saffron-robed minister said: "Nothing. A woman whose husband has been accused of theft... what kind of opinion would people have about her... the standing the wife of a thief has - she would have the same standing in Hindustan".
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband Robert Vadra has been questioned in several cases, including one involving money laundering. Over the years, it has been a source of multiple BJP jibes, which practically doubled since Priyanka Gandhi joined active politics as the party's General Secretary in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
But mostly, it has been the Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi - who is also the brother of Priyanka Gandhi -- who have been subject to such attacks.
In February, as Robert Vadra was called for questioning by the Enforcement Department, the BJP had launched scathing attacks on the Congress.
Senior BJP leader Sambit Patra had tweeted: "Just before Robert Vadra is to surrender to ED for interrogation in money laundering case, posters featuring him are showcased outside the Congress Headquarters in Delhi! Congress in desperation shamelessly adoring the medallion of Corruption in the name of 'Yuva Josh'!"
Priyanka Gandhi has been dismissed as a lightweight, with several leaders launching sexist attacks on her.
Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had called her a "chocolatey" face and Bihar leader Sushil Kumar Modi was quoted as saying by the IANS, "An election is neither a wrestling match, nor a beauty contest, nor it is a competition of some other type".
Declaring that for her, it is "family first", Priyanka Gandhi has made it a point to accompany Robert Vadra to the offices of the Enforcement Directorate during his questioning. She also said she was doing it to make a point.