Lamenting the brazen violation of the Model Code by the two BJP leaders, Singhvi said that he understood their desperation at the prospect of losing the election. But he did not understand the conduct of the Election Commission, which appears to following two codes of conduct, one for the opposition and the other for the BJP.

Has the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) been replaced by a separate ‘Modi Code of Conduct’, he asked.

“Never has there been a more audacious set of individuals who for petty electoral gains have turned a blind eye to rules, guidelines and codes, behaving as if the Election Commission does not exist in this country, the Model Code of Conduct does not exist and there is no Constitution of India, no level playing field,” he fumed.

Never before in the past 72 years has the Election Commission failed to maintain a level playing field, he said.

“Of course, we are not surprised; this is proof that BJP, Mr. Modi and Mr. Amit Shah have accepted defeat; the knowledge of certain defeat has led to this fear, frustration, complete hypocrisy and turning a blind eye to elementary cannons of rule of law,” he declared.

What defies reason, he said, is the helplessness of the Election Commission, which is the most powerful body during the 50-60 days of the window when the election is being held. It is the duty of the Commission to ensure the integrity of the election, he pointed out, but the Commission is failing in its task.

EC officials had told NDTV earlier this week that the Commission was studying the complaints against the PM and Amit Shah and that suitable action would be taken. But it had failed to explain why the complaints were not uploaded on the ECI’s website. No action has been taken either.

Singhvi informed that the complaints lodged have broadly been under three heads : Hate Speech, Divisive and polarising speeches and politicising the armed forces and leveraging valour, courage and sacrifice for electoral purposes—something that no previous Government has done—not in 1965 or in 1971 or after Kargil in 1999.