MUMBAI - To protest against the soaring prices of commodities in the country activists of Shiv Sena along with a large number of local residents took to streets of Mumbai on Sunday.

Protestors raised slogans against the ruling Congress party for not checking the prices of essential commodities, leading to a high cost of living.

Shiv Sena activists and others took out the protest march from Shivaji Park to Sena Bhavan. They were raising slogans against the ruling Congress Party and blamed it for the inflation.

Alongside holding flags and banners, the women participants in the rally were seen banging plates as a mark of protest.

Mayor of the Mumbai, Shubha Raul, participating in the protest march along with other women activists, wore garlands of vegetables to indicate a comparison of the cost of vegetables with that of gold jewellery.

Raul demanded the Government should take some necessary actions as soon as possible.

“This is public voice and today the public has taken to the streets screaming due to their unsatisfied hunger. There are many children in our State who still go to bed at night on an empty-stomach. They are left with two options, either to commit suicide or steal food. I appeal to the government that whatever is happening is not correct. People are making appeals to the Government saying that if prices of basic commodities increase, it will be difficult for them to survive,” said Shubha Raul, Mayor of Mumbai.

The sloganeering crowd said that the Government raised gasoline and diesel prices on July 01, its first increase this year and one of the steepest ever and the government cited international petroleum prices and global recession as the reason.

Though the government did not increase the price of cooking gas and kerosene to protect the poor and middle class families, the fuel price hike did adversely effect on the transport sectors, which ferry almost all the commodities.

The hike in fuel prices was followed by delayed monsoons resulting in step hike in the prices of vegetables and food grains. All this has upset the household budget and people are complaining that most of the food items are now beyond their reach, the protestors said.

rotestors also burnt an effigy of ruling Congress party. (ANI)