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The NDA has called for a nationwide shutdown on May 31 to protest against the UPA Government's unilateral decision to increase the price of petrol. "The important thing is that the petrol price has been hiked up to seven rupees. People don't know the reason behind this big jump. The government is raising its hand on the issue, saying this is all based on the international market. We have decided to do a 'Bharat Bandh'," said NDA convenor and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) chief Sharad Yadav. Yadav also appealed the leaders of various other political parties to support this shutdown. "The government took a one-sided and unilateral decision. The government should have discussed this issue in the Parliament. I would appeal everyone to participate in this 'Bharat Bandh'," said Yadav. "I have doubts in my mind that the government will incase the price of LPG and diesel after the presidential polls," he added. Meanwhile, the government has asked Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy to cut short his official visit to Turkmenistan by a day, and return to New Delhi to explain to the people the reasons for going ahead with the petrol price hike. In the steepest ever increase, the UPA-II Government on Wednesday raised petrol prices by about a massive Rs 7.54 per litre, the first hike in rates in six months. The hike in prices means that the price of petrol in Delhi will go up from Rs.65.64 per litre to Rs.73.14 per litre. In Mumbai, the price will go from Rs.70.66 per litre to Rs.78.16 per litre. In Kolkata, the price will go from Rs.70.03 per litre to Rs.77.53 per litre In Chennai, the price will go from Rs.69.55 per litre to Rs.77.05 per litre. State-owned oil companies have decided to raise petrol price by Rs 6.28 per litre excluding local sales tax or VAT. The hike translates into Rs 7.50 per litre in Delhi and is the steepest ever. The decision to hike petrol prices came a day after the end of the Budget Session of Parliament.

NDA calls for nationwide shutdown on May 31 to protest petrol price hike