Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], May 17 (ANI): MDMK founder Vaiko condemned the recent fuel price hike triggered by the West Asia crisis and said the burden should not be put on the common man.

He also said that the fuel hike will hit salaried and the middle class.

'We condemn the hike in petrol and diesel, which will affect, particularly, the salaried people and the middle class. The burden should be borne by the Union government and not put on a common man. This is our stand. So we are totally opposed to this...,' he told reporters here a day earlier.

He also demanded the resignation of Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET row and demanded to fix the accountablity for the alleged irregularities in the exam.

'We have opposed the NEET exams from the beginning. This should be permanently abolished. This year, due to the leak of the question papers, the exams could not be conducted, and 22 lakh students who had prepared themselves for months were disappointed. So, who is responsible for this? Therefore, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should submit his resignation. He should not continue as the Education Minister. This is our stand...'

Following the Rs 3 hike, petrol prices in New Delhi rose from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre.The fuel price revision comes amid growing concerns over global energy supplies due to tensions in West Asia and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime trade route for crude oil transportation.

Brent crude oil prices have remained above USD 100 per barrel following the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran since February this year. The widening regional conflict has impacted fuel markets as several West Asian countries are major energy suppliers.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to prioritise work from home, cut fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil use, shift to natural farming and curb gold purchases, while addressing a gathering.(ANI)