The Janata Dal state unit on Monday demanded the centre take immediate steps to take back the price fixing right of oil companies in view of their proposed decision to hike prices.

Speaking to reporters here, state unit president Mathew T Thomas alleged the centre was protecting business interests of oil firms and had been remaining a 'mute spectator' while they hiked prices, which were hiked 16 times last year.

He also said that the flaws in the Food Security Bill be corrected.

Mathew alleged that the ruling United Democratic Front was a failure in all sectors and added the government was trying to postpone the Piravom assembly constituency bypoll fearing people would give them a fitting reply for its failures.

On the Mullaperiyar dam issue, he alleged that the UDF government in the state had not handled the issue properly, despite the fact that Congress heads the government at the centre and in Kerala.

'Why did prime minister Manmohan Singh not call for a discussion with both chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala?' he asked.