CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat addressed a huge rally in Rohtak in Haryana on February 14 on the occasion of the CPI(M) state conference and appealed to the workers, peasants, students, youth and all other sections of the working class to launch a decisive struggle to fight the pro-corporate and communal government at the centre, led by Narendra Modi.

He condemned the Modi government for introducing anti-people policies through ordinances, bypassing parliament. Ordinances were brought in to make anti-people changes in the Land Acquisition Act and to privatise coal mines. The government allowed FDI in insurance, banking, and railway. "It passed a number of ordinances just after the parliament session. The government is doing exactly opposite to what it had promised during the election campaign. In its short tenure of nine months, the direction of the government is clear and it has taken a path against toiling masses," Karat said.

"On one hand it has opened up natural resources to big capital and on the other it has imposed burden on the common people by making MGNREGA ineffective, bringing ordinance to acquire land without consent and weakening the provision of rehabilitations, and writing off corporate taxes of more than Rs 5.70 lakh crore... We have to put pressure on the government to withdraw draconian land acquisition ordinance, to save MGNREGA , to save education, health, housing facilities and public services," he said.

Karat stressed on building unity among Left and democratic forces based on alternative policies to take on the BJP and the Congress.

Addressing the rally, CPI(M) Haryana state secretary Inderjit Singh called on the masses to strengthen the Left forces to protect their rights. He raised issues related to agrarian crisis and sought implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s report. He criticised Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma for his call for "complete saffronisation of education". Instead of taking steps to improve quality of public education system, the government is trying to communalise impressionable minds of young children, he said.

Jagmati Sangwan, general secretary of All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), spoke strongly against frequent attacks on women and girls. She said all sections of the society should come forward for gender sensitisation and against female foeticide and sexual assaults. CPI(M) state secretariat member and CITU state president Surender Malik condemned the government for failing to keep its promises on labour laws and minimum wages. He demanded regularisation of casual and contractual workers, and outsourced employees. Among others who addressed the public rally were former MLA Harpal Singh, Khet Majdoor Union president Ram Kumar and CITU state general secretary Satbir Singh.

The rally passed resolutions against pro-capitalist changes in labour laws and land acquisition act, and against communalisation of education. Resolutions were also passed seeking Rs 15,000 per month as minimum wage, expansion of MGNREGA and food security act, and strengthening of public education and health delivery system.

CPI(M) state committee member Balbir Dahiya presided over the rally. Party Central Committee member Joginder Sharma, SUCI (Communist) state secretary Satyavan and Mohinder Singh of CPI(Ma-Le) were also present.