Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday questioned the conduct of opposition members of Parliament amid mounting pressure on the government to initiate a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe to investigate the alleged wrongdoings conducted by the Adani group of companies.
"The conduct and tone of some members is disappointing for the entire country. I will tell such people - the more mud you throw at us, the more the lotus will bloom. You all have an equal role in making the lotus bloom. We will thank the opposition," he said in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament).
The Lotus is the poll symbol of Prime Minister Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his "lotus will bloom" reference was in the context of next year's national polls, which pollsters have said that the incumbent party is poised to win.
According to a recent poll conducted last month, PM Modi is currently the world's most popular global leader, with approval ratings of more than 78 percent.
The Indian leader's statement in parliament came amid "probe Adani" chants from opposition MPs. However, Modi remained unperturbed by the loud noise and went on to compare the performance of the BJP government under him and the past Congress-led governments.
"Congress created hurdles in development, India lost six decades while smaller countries progressed. Congress only engaged in 'tokenism', never tried to find permanent solutions to problems confronting the country. We are moving ahead with permanent solutions," Modi added.
Opposition parties, including the Congress and its top brass, former chief Rahul Gandhi and current boss Mallikarjun Kharge, have accused the PM of fueling Gautam Adani's rise.
What is the Adani Row About?
Adani has been under fire since January 24, when US investment firm Hindenburg Research alleged that India's largest conglomerate was manipulating stocks and was also involved in accounting fraud.
The Ahmedabad-based group of companies has rejected Hindenburg's claims, declaring the allegations are nothing but a "malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations that have been tested and rejected by India's highest courts."
Despite the group's dismissal of the report by Hindenburg, it has lost more than half of its market value, losing a whopping $120 billion after investors became wary about the future of the ports-to-energy major.
But the battered empire appeared to be getting back on its feet once again this week after shares in the flagship firm Adani Enterprises rose more than 20 percent besides other group companies also showing an upward trend.