The Petroleum Minister Mr. Jaipal Reddy has said that the fuel price hike is minimal and unavoidable. He was speaking to news persons after the meeting of the Empowered Group of Minister on Petroleum Products chaired by the Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee yesterday. The Prices of the Diesel were increase by three rupees per Litre, Kerosene by two rupees a Liter and cooking gas by 50 rupees per cylinder. However, the government has abolished five percent customs duty on crude oil and reduced import duty on all petroleum products to 2.5 percent from 7.5 percent. The excise duty on diesel has also been cut to two rupees from 4.60 rupees per litre. The duty cut will cost the government about 49000 crore rupees during this financial year. The BJP and left parties today held nationwide protest against the hike.The Leader of Opposition in the Loksabha Ms Sushma swaraj has criticized the Central Government for hiking the prices of diesel and LPG. Speaking to newsmen in Chennai today, the senior BJP leader said that the Congress led government had come to power with the slogan “hamara haat aam aadimi ke saath” and now has resorted to price hike. She sai this shows that the UPA Government is insensitive towards the sufferings of common man. The AIADMK which has come into power in Tamilnadu after the recent assembly elections has also demanded rollback of the increase.The West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee whose, Trinamool Congress is a part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the Center has also opposed the hike in fuel prices, saying that is will be in the not interest of the common man. The Samajwadi Party held demonstrations against the hike in Uttar Pradesh. Delhi Chief Minister Mrs Sheila Dikshit has said that her government will examine some sort of relief.Congress today urged the states to reduce levies on diesel, kerosene oil and cooking gas to offset the impact of hike in their prices yesterday. Party spokesman Janardan Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi that his party is sending directives to Congress-ruled states in this regard.