THE Haryana state secretariat of the CPI(M) in a statement issued on August 22, has demanded immediate withdrawal of Haryana government ordinance providing for educational qualifications and other conditions for contesting panchayat elections in view of the stay order granted by the High Court. If the BJP led government still insists on its undemocratic move it would be presumed that it wants to defer the holding of elections. Party is of the view that the undemocratic ordinance should have been set aside prima facie as it is totally arbitrary and violates the fundamental rights of the majority people. It is a well known fact that majority of poor and downtrodden people do not reach up to middle and matric standard for the reasons beyond their control and it is the present socio-economic system to be blamed for their plight. While on the contrary the government was bent upon blaming the victims themselves by depriving them from their basic right of contesting the elections at the grass root level institution which has 78.48 percent women. Let it be known that 83.06 Scheduled Caste women above 20 years of age are below middle pass while 55.63 percent of the general category male rural population are below matric in the age group of above 20 years, according to the 2011 census. The CPI(M) therefore, demands immediate withdrawal of the anti-people and obnoxious ordinance and get the schedule announced for panchayat elections without further delay.