A drowning person holds the straw for rescue. All the norms of the model code of conduct during elections were thrown to the wind when, perhaps, a sudden phone call from the Wankhede stadium got the prime minister to work overtime and prepare a draft to bestow Bharat Ratna on Sachin Tendulkar and get it signed by the president. This time Pranab-da committed a silly mistake by signing the illegal proposal of Manmohan Singh.

Crores of voters in the poll-bound states, who are fans of Tendulkar, will certainly thank the Congress for bestowing the most prestigious award on the cricket icon and this is the moment when they will get influenced while exercising their right to franchise which is supposed to be free and fair as per the provisions of the MCC.

I have filed a complaint with the chief election commissioner for immediate exemplary action on the issue [Letter to the EC, attached below]. Otherwise in the coming years a lot of Bharat Ratnas will be given out during election days to influence the voters on caste, religion, and community basis.

On the one hand the post of Delhi Lokayukta is vacant because of the MCC, and on the other hand the ruling party at the centre could not wait for 20-odd days to bestow the Bharat Ratna on Tendulkar.

Its intention is crystal clear and the election commission will have to act on this issue particularly when the government did not have the basic courtesy to seek the permission from the poll body.