CPI national secretariat member K. Prakash Babu on Saturday said the Union government is trying to move towards dictatorship while retaining democracy. He made these remarks during a meet-the-press event organised by the Press Club and the SBI Officers’ Association, under the ‘Deshapporu’ programme. Mr Babu accused the Election Commission of taking a biased approach in some states. "In BJP-ruled Assam, it has currently decided against implementing the SIR," he said. He called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) a democratic process that actually strengthens dictatorship because over 40 lakh people in Bihar were unable to vote. "In Kerala, five lakh people were excluded from the list. We are not opposed to implementing the SIR, but the issue is why the year 2002 is being used as the criterion. Lakhs of expatriates would be omitted through this process," he added. Mr Babu alleged the government’s moves aim to destroy democracy. He said the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) was introduced in this same spirit. "We see the current developments in the country with anxiety. There is an ongoing attempt to distort history. The Communist party and others fought against the British in the freedom struggle, and many became martyrs. However, our rulers are now saying that children should not study the history of the freedom struggle in which they had no part," he stated. He also said state welfare programmes will be a big talking point in the upcoming election. On the Sabarimala issue, Mr Babu said it is unlikely to hurt the government much during elections. "The government is moving forward with strong measures. The government’s stand on the Sabarimala issue is that the truth must come out. The CPI(M) State secretary himself has said that the guilty, even if they are top leaders, will not be protected," he explained.