Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS): Protesting against Thursday's hike in petrol prices, United Progressive Alliance partner Trinamool Congress alleged it was kept in the dark about the decision.

Trinamool general secretary and union Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy called up Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to express the party's annoyance over the matter.

"We are unhappy over the way the petrol prices were raised. Despite being a partner in the central government, we were not consulted. We don't know anything about the decision," Roy told reporters here.

Trinamool is the second largest constituent of the UPA after the Congress.

"I called up Pranab Mukherjee and expressed our dissatisfaction. We have protested against the decision," said Roy.

"Only four months back petrol prices had gone up. These things hit the common man hard," he added.

Petrol prices were hiked Thursday, for the 10th time since June 2010, by Rs.3.14 a litre from Friday, as India's oil retailers sought to pass most of the burden of the falling value of the rupee and high crude prices on to consumers.

The latest hike comes over and above a steep upward revision of Rs.5 a litre in May.