SAD Patron and Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Parkash Singh Badal said the bandh had been called to mount pressure on the UPA government for immediate roll back of the hike.
In a statement here, Badal said it was deplorable on part of the Congress government to hike the price of petrol 16 times during the last three years.
He said the Centre was duty bound to check the prices of essential commodities but it has miserably failed on this front.
Badal said the "unending saga of woes" of common man would accentuate with the likely increase in the prices of diesel and LPG once the Presidential election was over.
