Thirvananthapuram, Monday, December 28, 2009: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sanghom (BMS) has given a call to observe hartal on December 29 in protest against the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities.

Bharatiya Janata Party has announced their support to the hartal. Milk, News paper, and hospital services have been exempted from the hartal.

BMS district president M.M. Ramesh alleged that some middlemen and a section of the traders were deciding the prices of essential food items. The Central and State governments looked on helplessly, even as the common man suffered.