India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Thursday called for a nationwide strike on May 31 in protest against the steep rise in petrol price and the spiraling increase in prices of essential commodities.

"We have consulted all opposition allies and then gave the strike call. The government has failed on all fronts to control the price rise of petrol and essential commodities. The general public is fed up with the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance 's government," NDA convenor Sharad Yadav told the media.

He also slammed the government for hiking petrol price after the closure of the monsoon session of Parliament.

Rubbishing government claims that the petrol price hike was done by state-run oil companies because of the deregulation of fuel prices, Yadav said, "this is simply an eyewash by the government."

The state-run oil companies Wednesday increased petrol prices by 7.50 rupees approximately (15 U.S. cents) in the wake of the fall in value of Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar.