Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, criticized by his party in Kerala for "his constant adulation of Narendra Modi", today said he was astonished by charges that he is pro-BJP.

"Being receptive to specific statements or actions of BJP leaders does not remotely imply acceptance of the party's core Hindutva agenda," tweeted Tharoor, who was the only politician in a list of nine people tagged by PM Modi last week to promote his clean India campaign.

"The PM pitched his appeal as a non-political one and I received it in that spirit. I am a proud Congressman and a proud Indian. In short: not pro-BJP, just pro-India!" the 58-year-old Kerala MP said.