She was born to Stefano and Paola Maino in Contrada Mini ("Maini quarter/district"), at Lusiana, a [12] little village

30 km from Vicenza in Veneto, Italy, where families with the family name "Mino" have [13][14][15] [16] been living for many generations. She spent her adolescence in Orbassano, a town near Turin, being raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family and attending a Catholic school. Her father, Stefano [17] Maino, was a building mason, who owned a small construction business inOrbassano. Stefano fought against the Soviet military alongside Hitler's Wehrmacht on the eastern front in World War II, he called [17] [18] himself a loyal supporter of Benito Mussolini and Italy's National Fascist Party. He died in 1983. Her [19] mother and two sisters still live around Orbassano. In 1964, she went to study English at the Bell Educational Trust's language school in the city of Cambridge. She met Rajiv Gandhi, who was enrolled in Trinity College at the University of Cambridge in 1965 at a Greek restaurant (the Varsity Restaurant) while working there as a waitress to [20][21] [22] make ends meet. Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi married in 1968, in a Hinduceremony following which [23] she moved into the house of her mother-in-law and then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The couple had two children, Rahul Gandhi (born 1970) and Priyanka Vadra (born 1972). Despite belonging to the influentialNehru family, Sonia and Rajiv avoided all involvement in politics. Rajiv worked [24] as an airline pilot while Sonia took care of her family. When Indira was ousted from office in 1977 in the [citation needed] aftermath of the Indian Emergency, the Rajiv family moved abroad for a short time. When Rajiv entered politics in 1982 after the death of his younger brother Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash on 23 June [25] 1980, Sonia continued to focus on her family and avoided all contact with the public.

[10][11]

Political career

Sonia Gandhi's birthplace, 31, Contrada Maini (Maini street), Lusiana, Italy (the house on the right)

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION OF SONIA GANDHI

Sonia Gandhi has not studied beyond High School. She has falsely claimed in her affidavit filed as a contesting candidate before the Rae Bareli Returning Officer in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, that she qualified and got a diploma in English from the prestigious University of Cambridge, UK. 1 The truth is that Ms. Gandhi has never studied in any college anywhere. She did go to a Catholic nun run seminary-school called Maria Ausiliatrice in Giaveno [15 kms from adopted home town of Orbassabo]. Poverty those days forced young Italian girls to go to such missionaries and then in their teens go to UK to get jobs as cleaning maids, waitresses and au pair. The Mainos were poor those days.

1 COPY OF AFFIDAVIT FILED BY SONIA GANDHI BEFORE RETURNING OFFICER OF RAIBARELLI CONSTITUENCY IN 2004 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN WHICH SHE GAVE FALSE INFORMATION REGARDING HER EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Her father was a mason and mother a sharecropper. 1 Sonia thus went to the town of Cambridge and first learnt some English in a teaching shop called Lennox School [which has since 1970 been wound up]. That is all her "education" i.e. ---learnt enough English language to get domestic help jobs. 1 It is worth mentioning that Lennox School which has since 1970 been wound up has never been affiliated to Cambridge University as it has been claimed by Sonia Gandhi in her affidavit filed before returning officer of Raibarelli. But Sonia gave false information about her education because in Indian society education is highly valued. Thus, to fool the Indian public, Sonia Gandhi wilfully fibbed about her qualifications in Parliamentary records [which is a Breach of Ethics Rules] and in a sworn affidavit [which is criminal offence under IPC, severe enough to disqualify her from being MP]. In popular parlance, this is called 420 or 10 "numberi" [not to be confused with 10 Janpath]. 1 On June 1 2004, Mr Manoj Kaushik wrote to the Press Centre, University of Cambridge as mentioned below: To, The Press Centre, University of Cambridge, Dear Sir, With due respect I wish to submit few lines for your kind perusal. I request you some Clarification regarding affiliation of a school with University of Cambridge. Recently a person declared in her affidavit that she did a Certificate course at; Lennox Cook School, University of Cambridge in 1967. Link to the affidavit upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc5.html . Implying that Lennox Cook School is an affiliate of University of Cambridge. Later on we learnt that the school is closed and there is some scepticism that the school is not affiliated to Cambridge University .In this regard we that you are the correct body to contact for clarification. I earnestly request you to clarify us how 'Lennox Cook School' is associated with Cambridge University . Regards Manoj Kaushik On 28 September 2004 Mr. R. Vaidyanathan, Professor of Finance & Control of UTI Chair Professor and ICSSR National Fellow, wrote following letter: To, Laura Morgan, Press and Publications Office, University of Cambridge, Dear Laura Morgan, I am sure you are aware of the excitement and curiosity generated in India regarding the claim of Mrs. Sonia [Rajeev] Gandhi regarding her studies, at a language school-Lennox School-affiliated to your University. She swears in the affidavit [for getting elected as an MP] that she completed Certificate of English from Lennox Cook School-University of Cambridge in the year 1965. Other leaders have contested the fact that the language school was part of Cambridge University. Either the said school was part of your University system [in terms of recognition] or it was not. I am sure you will agree with me that there cannot be a third option.

Under the circumstances it would be most appropriate for a prestigious university like yours, to issue a press statement / clarification in this matter. Normally, you may not want to issue press statements on many such claims and counter claims. But in this case, the matter pertains to an important and highly respected leader of India [a Commonwealth Country] and the affidavit and dispute are in the public domain. I am a professor, for more than two decades at a prestigious business school n India. If your University does not take cognisance of this important and serious issue, and fail to bestow the attention it requires, then as an academician of more than twenty five year standing [including, as a visiting Professor at Manchester Business School and at other major US schools], I will be forced to conclude that your University is not particularly interested in truthful representation of credentials and perhaps encourages commonwealth leaders to follow-- suggestio veri suppresio falsi-principle. I hope for the sake of academic integrity and truthfulness, your university will issue a press statement at the earliest. I am not a member of any political party in India and this letter of mine is essentially from an academician for the purpose of clarification in the light of the debate it has generated in our country. I am eager that tall leaders of my country are not tarred by insinuation by irresponsible politicians. It is also part of a small effort on my part to clean our electoral system, which needs many changes. I am giving below the copy of the affidavit filed by Mrs. Sonia { Rajeev] Gandhi before the returning officer for her Parliamentary election held in May 2004. Thank you for your time and hope to get a response from your side. upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc1.html upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc2.html upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc3.html upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc4.html upgov.nic.in/election/Aff...G_sc5.html R.Vaidyanathan Professor of Finance and control & UTI Chair Professor and ICSSR National Fellow On September 28, 2004 spokesperson of Cambridge University categorically sated that "The Lennox School was never affiliated to the Cambridge University". Earlier talking to reporters separately, Dr. Swamy said he had filed a criminal complaint with the Rae Bareli District Magistrate, who is also the Returning Officer of the Lok Sabha constituency, against Ms. Sonia Gandhi for filing a "false affidavit" regarding her educational qualifications. He said an "action" committee comprising members of various political parties would organise meetings at major cities to "expose the true colours" of Ms. Gandhi. 5 Dr Swamy, who met the RO Rae Bareli, produced what he said was "documentary evidence" to prove that Sonia was never a student of the Cambridge University. He submitted two letters dated November 21 and 28 2001) from the Cambridge University student records and statistics authorities stating that no student with the name of either Sonia Maino or Gandhi was ever registered with the university. Dr Swamy demanded that the RO should quash Sonia's election from Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency and initiate criminal proceedings against her under sections 177, 181 and 191 of the IPC for wilful false declaration on the affidavit she had filed before the RO in May 2004 that she had a degree from the University of Cambridge. "The fact of the matter is that she has not even passed high school and is barely literate. Yet, she has lied to the electorate, committed a criminal offence and hence unfit to be an MP," he said at a press

conference in Lucknow after his return from Rae Bareli. Earlier, Dr Swamy had filed two more cases against Sonia. Two PILs, accusing Sonia of receiving huge sums from KGB and her involvement into antique smuggling, are pending before the Delhi High Court. The Delhi HC has issued notices to CBI fixing November 17 as the next date for hearing.The Janata Party president declared that he would file three more cases against Sonia in near future. "One would deal with corruption and amassing disproportionate assets. The other would be based on her suspected involvement in the conspiracy behind her husband late Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and the third for keeping the Italian citizenship even today," he announced, demanding cancellation of her Indian citizenship.