Bhopal, Feb 15 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Monday asked people to voluntarily observe a half-day shutdown across the state on February 20 to protest the relentless rise in fuel prices, especially petrol, which has breached the Rs 100 mark.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath, in a tweet that carried the appeal for a half-day bandh said it was to wake up the BJP-led state and Central governments from their "deep slumber".

Hitting out at the ruling BJP, Nath said those who came to power promising relief from rising prices were distressing people with prices hikes and inflation.

Meanwhile, Ajay Singh, president of the MP Petrol Pump Owners Association told PTI that "power petrol" of a leading oil marketing firm was now priced at Rs 100.61 litre, while normal petrol was retailing at Rs 96.94 and diesel at Rs 87.49 in Bhopal.

"VAT and cess on diesel in Madhya Pradesh is 28 per cent while its is 39 per cent on petrol. The rates are higher in MP when compared to neighbouring states. So trucks and vehicles passing through MP prefer to stock up from other states. For instance, diesel prices in MP are Rs 8 higher than that in Uttar Pradesh," he added.

Youth Congress workers carried out a mock funeral of a motorcycle in Bhopal to protest fuel price rise.

However, the BJP accused the Congress of double standards on the issue with the former's state secretary Rajneesh Agrawal claiming the Kamal Nath government had increased cess on diesel and petrol despite promising a reduction in its poll manifesto.

The BJP government in MP had not increased VAT, he said, adding that fuel prices going north were due to change in rates in the international market.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)