Mumbai, June 9 : The Bharatiya Janata Party today slammed the ruling United Progressive Alliance for its failure to check rising prices of essentials commodities.

Addressing a news conference in Mumbai, Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh said that if the rate of inflation is not checked, it would soon move into double digits.

“Ever since the UPA government has come in power, inflation has been rising. Prices of almost all items of essential commodities have increased. Last week, rate of inflation was 8.24 per cent and I am sure by the end of June, it will reach double digits," Singh said.

Meanwhile, traders’ association in Jammu and Kashmir took out a protest march in Srinagar, against the Central government's decision.

“Inflation has increased so much that on one hand, there is no proper electricity, we cannot use heaters, kerosene is less and so almost everybody has bought a Liquefied Petroleum Gas cylinder and to increase the price of the (LPG) cylinder straight away by 50 rupees is a very wrong decision," said Jan Muhammad Koul, President Kashmir Traders Association.

Similar protests were witnessed in Chennai where activists of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) demanded the State Government to take measures to curb the hike.

“This price hike is unjustified, steep and it will affect the common man on whose very name, the central government has come to power. The state government should divert the amount and absorb the hike proposed by the central government,” said Mythreyan, Secretary of AIADMK.

The Centre on Thursday had announced the increase in the prices of petrol and diesel by about 10 per cent and a cylinder of cooking gas by 17 per cent, the biggest hike in fuel prices in 12 years.

The political parties have asked governments in states ruled by them to reduce local taxes on fuel. (ANI)