Congress asks Shashi Tharoor to explain praise for PM Narendra Modi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been asked for an explanation by Kerala?s Congress leaders for publicly endorsing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachh Bharat” campaign.

Disciplinary action is also likely if his explanation is not found satisfactory.

A decision will be taken after KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, who has also criticised Mr Tharoor, returns form Kasargod on Tuesday.

Mr Tharoor made it clear that his acceptance of Mr Modi’s call to support the campaign doesn’t mean that he endorsed BJP’s “core Hindutva” agenda.

Mr Tharoor wrote on  Facebook that he is a proud Congressman and a proud Indian.

“In short, not pro-BJP, just pro-India. Being receptive to specific statements or actions of BJP leaders does not remotely imply acceptance of the party’s core Hindutva agenda. The PM hitched his appeal as a non-political one and I received it in that spirit,”  wrote Mr Tharoor.

Mr Tharoor, who had praised Mr Modi a couple of times earlier, gave  a positive response to Mr Modi’s invitation to join the ambitious “Swachh Bharat” but wanted it to be a sustained programme instead of “tokenism.”

He also said  he was worried the campaign would descend to symbolic photo opportunities.