New Delhi, Sept 15: The unabated hike in fuel prices continued on Saturday as petrol neared the Rs 90-mark in Mumbai, while reaching another record-high in Delhi. In the national capital, petrol turned 35 paise costlier, bringing its rate to Rs 81.63 per litre. Diesel, meanwhile, has rocketed to Rs 73.54 per litre -- an increase in 24 paise from the rate prevailing on the preceding day.

In Mumbai, the petrol price has surged to Rs 89.01 per litre, with motorists in the financial capital fearing to shell-out more than Rs 90 per litre in the upcoming days. Diesel in the city is being charged at Rs 78.07 a litre.

The Centre has been facing flak over the past few days due to the consecutive hike in fuel prices, bringing them to record-high levels with each passing day. The government, however, has put the onus on international circumstances, claiming that the surge in global crude oil prices is forcing them to hike the rates.

A Bharat Bandh was observed by 21 Opposition parties on Monday to protest against the rocketing fuel prices. Countering the government's claim that global crude rate has jumped to an unprecedented level, the Congress said it is nowhere near to what it had peaked in 2013 -- when the UPA was in power.

Notably, the crude oil had surged to $120 per barrel in September 2013. At the time, petrol was being sold at Rs 84.38 a litre in Mumbai. On the other hand, the crude prices are hovering around $76 per barrel at present, but the the rate of petrol has reached Rs 89.01 per litre in the city.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 15, 2018 09:06 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).