Shiromani Akali Dal today strongly condemned the unreasonable hike of Rs 7.5 per litre in petrol price and demanded immediate rollback. In a statement issued here, party President and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal termed shocked hike in petrol prices as a cruel joke with ‘Aam Aadmi’. He demanded for immediate rollback in the petrol prices. Badal said that hike in patrol prices would have a cascading effect and it will boost the inflation to uncontrollable level. He said that it would make life of common person more miserable, who was already reeling under the record inflation. Accusing the Congress led UPA government of burdening the common man through its hit and try economic policies, Badal said that the economy was in a state of collapse. He said that the UPA government failed to handle the economic situation which resulted into such a crises. He said that Congress led UPA government was unable to check the decline of the Rupee whereas other developing countries like Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam were not witnessing such decline. He said that economic mismanagement under UPA regime has led to record food and general inflation besides the decline of the Rupee. He said that UPA government plea of global economic conditions was mere an excuse for its mismanagement of the economy and said the hike was much more than the rise in oil prices globally.Accusing the UPA of celebrating three years in power at the time when the country was facing crises, Badal said that Congress party was loosing its hold in the country and thus it was busy in its last loot. He said that Shiromani Akali Dal along with NDA and other like minded parties would launch strong protest against the patrol price hike.