CPI(M) Andhra Pradesh secretary V. Srinivasa Rao has accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of attempting to suppress dissent by branding critics as “intellectual Naxals,” and says that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech is “a matter of shame” for the country.

Addressing the media in Vijayawada on Sunday, along with party State Secretariat member Y. Venkateswara Rao, he said the term “intellectual Naxal” was being deliberately coined to silence the younger generation and curb constitutional rights.

The government was using the term as a tool to intimidate intellectuals, democrats and those questioning its policies, creating the possibility of anyone being targeted and jailed. The Centre was pursuing an “extremely dangerous” course by attempting to impose authoritarianism and suppress democratic voices, he alleged.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao appealed to the intellectuals, democrats and political parties to condemn the attempt to criminalise dissent.

Deletion of votes

He also criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that it was resulting in deletion of voters in the State. He claimed that 44 lakh names were being subjected to scrutiny in Andhra Pradesh and alleged that nearly 25 lakh of those affected were migrant workers who had neither been able to exercise their franchise at their places of migration nor retain their voting rights in their native villages.

He said the issue was particularly serious because a large section of the affected population comprised poor and working people.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said notices had been issued to people whose names appeared in the 2002 electoral rolls, including party leader Chigurupati Babu Rao in Vijayawada. He said Mr. Babu Rao had received a notice pointing to a discrepancy in his father's name and asking him to produce documents to establish his identity.

“If a recognised political leader is being asked to produce documents over such discrepancies, what will be the plight of ordinary voters?” he asked.

Citing Article 326 of the Constitution, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said every citizen aged 18 and above was entitled to vote. He questioned the basis on which the Election Commission could demand that citizens prove their eligibility to remain on the electoral rolls.

The responsibility for identifying an ineligible voter should lie with the Election Commission, he said.

Published - August 16, 2026 09:01 pm IST