Fuel prices in India continue to rise, resulting in outrage across the nation as on Thursday the price of petrol reached Rs 85.29 per litre in Mumbai and Rs 77.47 per litre in Delhi.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in a tweet mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting a fitness challenge from India skipper Virat Kohli but not working on reducing fuel prices. Rahul Gandhi issued a 'Fuel Challenge' to the PM, to reduce fuel prices else Congress will do nationwide agitation and 'force you to do so'.

The Congress President tweeted, "Dear PM, Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here’s one from me: Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so. I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge."

Dear PM,

Glad to see you accept the @imVkohli fitness challenge. Here’s one from me:

Reduce Fuel prices or the Congress will do a nationwide agitation and force you to do so.

I look forward to your response.#FuelChallenge

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 24, 2018

The successive increases in fuel prices have earned the NDA-led central government much criticism. The government has blamed the fuel price hike on changes in international oil market, specifically after US exiting from the Iran nuclear deal increased sanctions on the oil producing state. While former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed the government can reduce the prices by Rs 25 per litre, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assured that "Various alternatives are being looked."

The frustration of the public against fuel rise was evident as they responded to the #FuelChallenge:

Protesting against #FuelPriceHike today on Western Express Highway, Mumbai.@narendramodi ji along with #fitnesschallange kindly accept #FuelChallenge too from Congress President @RahulGandhi and give relief to the common people of India pic.twitter.com/cRlHBh6m8E

— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) May 24, 2018

#FuelChallenge
BJP is a shameless party, no answers regarding fuel price rise as common man suffers & our PM is busy challenging @imVkohli for a fitness challenge.
BJP raised taxes 9 times between 2014-16 when oil prices slumped.
No relief 2 consumers.
???? pic.twitter.com/3ipinuNT5Y

— K . Chandrakumar ???? (@kurup62) May 24, 2018

Modiji should accept @RahulGandhi's #FuelChallenge and reduce Petrol price by Re 25 as suggested by @PChidambaram_IN#FuelPriceHike#FuelLootBySuitBoot

— Syed Maqbool (@maqbool_sm) May 24, 2018

Can anybody tell when was the last time in history of India fuel prices were hiked like this, at a stretch every day, month after month? Did it ever happen in India? #FuelChallenge

— Sanjukta Basu (@sanjukta) May 24, 2018

As the common man reels under high Fuel Prices the Modi govt is busy playing fool with gimmicks like #FitnessChallenge .
Time for us to stand up and demand Modi govt to accept the #FuelChallenge pic.twitter.com/sm1GPyhKmJ

— Harjeet Kaur (@HarjeetKaurINC) May 24, 2018

Dear CM @vijayanpinarayi

Reduce Fuel prices by relinguishing extra tax from petrol and diesel or the UDF in Kerala will hold agitations across the state to force you to do so.#FuelChallenge

— Ramesh Chennithala (@chennithala) May 24, 2018

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Thursday responded to India skipper Virat Kohli's fitness challenge launched by Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, sparking off a series of challenges issued to him by Opposition politicians. On Twitter, they demanded his response on matters ranging from the fuel rise to his educational background.