Petrol was sold at Re 1 to 500 buyers at a refilling station in Maharashtra’s Solapur city on Thursday by the Dr Ambedkar Students and Youth Panthers to protest against the rise in fuel prices, PTI reported.

Each buyer was given only one litre of the fuel. Police had to be deployed after a crowd gathered at the petrol pump.

“Inflation has risen sharply,” said Mahesh Sarvagoda, the outfit’s state unit leader. “The price of petrol has reached Rs 120 per litre under the Narendra Modi government. So, to give relief to people and celebrate Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, we decided to give petrol at the rate of one rupee.”

Petrol and diesel costs have remained steady for the last nine days. Between March 22 and April 6, they had been increased by Rs 10 per litre.

In Delhi, a litre of petrol now costs Rs 105.41, whereas diesel is priced at Rs 96.67 per litre. Fuel prices vary in states due to different value-added tax and freight charges.