Petrol pumps across Chhattisgarh shut down on Sunday, in response to the call of the youth wing of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest the latest hike in petrol price.
All pumps remained shut in capital Raipur. Reports from other parts of the state confirm that petrol pump owners have joined in the shutdown called by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
The central government had raised petrol prices by over Rs 3 per litre on Thursday, triggering protests countrywide.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh Sunday refused to reduce value added tax (VAT) on petrol.
"The state government cannot do much," Singh said. "Lowering VAT will not help because the central government is shockingly raising prices almost every month."