TMC MPs on Thursday held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex against rising prices of essential commodities and fuel.

Wearing garlands of onions and potatoes, the leaders held placards calling the government "fuel thief". Senior TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the common man was excessively burdened due to the steep hike in essential commodities and urged the government to intervene in the matter. Both houses of Parliament adjourned sine die on Thursday, a day ahead of schedule.

Opposition leaders have been demanding a discussion on rising prices in both houses of Parliament during the Budget Session. Petrol and diesel prices on Wednesday were hiked again by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates to Rs 10 per litre or over 10 percent.

However, there has been no hike in petrol and diesel on Thursday, which is the third time in 17 days.

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Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 105.41 per litre as against Rs 104.61 previously, while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 96.67 per litre to Rs 95.07, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers. In Mumbai, the petrol and diesel prices per litre are at Rs 120.51 (increased by 84 paise) and Rs 104.77 (increased by 85 paise) respectively.

Last week, opposition members, including those from the Congress and Trinamool Congress, had walked out from the Lok Sabha to protest against the continuous hike in fuel prices.

As soon as the House had assembled, opposition members had started the protest against the hike in fuel prices and demanded that it should be withdrawn. Raising slogans and carrying placards, the members had shouted slogans against the Modi government for its alleged anti-people policies.

However, Speaker Om Birla said he had given them opportunities on four occasions in the past in this session to raise the issue and hence they should go back to their seats and take part in the proceedings. The opposition members ignored the Speaker's plea and continued their protest.

On April 5, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Lok Sabha that in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war, petrol prices in India have gone up by merely 5 percent as against over 50 percent in some of the developed countries. Puri also pointed out that the price of natural gas has shot up several times in the international market after the outbreak of the war.

Last week, a report stated that the ongoing war in Ukraine, which is the world's largest sunflower grower, is likely to result in at least 25 percent or 4-6 lakh tonne shortage of crude sunflower oil supplies in India next fiscal.

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