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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a demonstration here on Monday against the impending hike in fuel prices. The Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) under Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to take a decision on deregulation of the price of petrol at around 4: 30 p.m. today. The BJP supporters and party workers, who turned up in large numbers for the protest warned against any rise in prices. "The main purpose of the demonstration is the prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), petrol and diesel hiked for the fourth time. It is government's bad planning against the common man," said Vijender Gupta, Delhi BJP President. "We want to warn the government that if it hikes the prices then our party will take to street to protest," he added. Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora on Monday said the country should raise state-set fuel prices as retailing firms were suffering losses. The EGoM is also expected to move towards gradual removal of a control on diesel and cooking gas (LPG) prices. The EGoM will have to raise the price of petrol by at least Rs. 3.35 per litre and that of diesel by at least Rs. 3.49 a litre to free them from Government control. Petrol in Delhi currently costs Rs. 47.93 a litre, while diesel is Rs. 38.10 a litre.

BJP demonstrates against impending hike in fuel prices