Panaji, Nov 13 (IANS): Congress women workers in Goa, on Friday, staged a protest outside Raj Bhavan with Diwali hampers containing potatoes, onions and tomatoes, accusing the National Democratic Alliance government of dampening the spirit of the festival of lights in wake of high prices of essential vegetables.

"We have come here to protest against the rising prices of tomatoes, potatoes and onions which have dampened the spirit of Diwali. We want to give a Diwali gift hamper of the high priced vegetables for Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, so that he can understand the gravity of the issue faced by the common man," Goa Congress Mahila Morcha president Pratima Coutinho told reporters outside Raj Bhavan.

"The prices of vegetables have skyrocketed and even doubled, tripled in some cases due to mismanagement by the National Democratic Alliance," said Coutinho, who also submitted a memorandum to Raj Bhavan, demanding a roll back in prices of vegetables and pulses, especially during the festive season of Diwali.

The Goa government has already started rolling out onions in the state's ration shops at subsidised prices. While the market price of onions in Goa is around Rs. 80 per kg, ration shops in the state have been providing onions to BPL card holders at Rs. 32 per kg.