Mangaluru: Following hike in petrol and diesel prices by 82 and 61 paisa, the district youth Congress staged protest demonstration on Thursday here near Congress office at Hampankatta.

Protesters headed by district youth Congress president, Mithun Rai raised slogans against union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to pass on the slashed prices in the international markets for both the fuels to common man. Protesters brought plastic bottles filled with petrol, and poured it into some vehicles collecting RS 30 thus symbolically passing the message to government to bring down the prices.

The protesters gathered on the road connecting  Jyoti and State Bank due to which traffic was affected for a few minutes. Speaking to the press Mithun Rai, said  the UPA government during last tenure did not put the burden on common people, though the petrol rates stood near 150 $ per barrel. He demanded the government to reduce the excise duty imposed on petrol to cut rates.