Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (IANS): Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Sunday staged a protest near Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar over increasing prices of fuel and other essential commodities.

BJD activists rode cycles, rickshaws and rallied on foot from Keshari talkies to the agitation place as a mark of protest against the spiralling rise in the prices of fuel. The women workers were seen burning chullahs to protest against the hike in the price of the LPG cylinders.

Later, the BJD workers submitted a memorandum to President Ram Nath Kovind through Governor Ganeshi Lal.

Senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra said following the steep rise in the fuel prices and the imposition of GST and other cess by the Union government, consumers are suffering a lot.

"If the government does not roll back the price hike, we will intensify our protest and hold similar demonstrations in every Assembly constituency," warned Mishra.

However, opposition parties in Odisha, BJP and Congress have termed the protest as a move to divert the attention of the people from the Mamita Meher murder case.