As AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’, promising a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 for temple priests and granthis of gurudwaras. A political war of words broke out over this scheme and BJP called Arvind Kejriwal an “electoral Hindu”. BJP mocked Kejriwal in a post on social media platform ‘X’, in which he is shown dressed as Chhota Pandit, a character from the Bollywood film ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also responded with its own poster, challenging the BJP to launch a similar scheme in the 20 states where it is in government. In one of its key election promises, AAP on Monday (December 30) announced that it will launch the scheme if it is re-elected in Delhi.
Kejriwal started the scheme on the first day by registering the priest of Marghat Baba Temple near Kashmiri Gate ISBT, after which Chief Minister Atishi reached a Gurudwara in Karol Bagh to get the registration done.
The former Chief Minister said that AAP workers will do similar registration in other temples and gurudwaras across the city. He alleged that BJP tried its best, but no one can stop a devotee from meeting God.
He said that he will go to the ancient Hanuman temple in Connaught Place and get the priests registered there.
But, as politics over the scheme gained momentum in Delhi, a group of priests protested outside the temple against them announcing the honorarium after a delay of 10 years.
What did BJP say?
In its poster mocking Arvind Kejriwal, BJP described him as an “electoral Hindu”. BJP wrote, “The one who kept distributing salaries to the Imams for 10 years, who was not happy with the construction of the temple of Lord Shri Ram himself and his grandmother, who opened liquor vends outside the temples and Gurudwaras and whose entire politics was anti-Hindu, will now be punished.” As soon as the elections came, did you remember the priests and ministers?
On the other hand, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj criticized the ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ announced by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal, calling it an ‘appeasement’ move before the upcoming assembly elections.
election hindu kejriwal
The one who kept distributing salaries to the Imams for 10 years, who was not happy with the construction of Lord Shri Ram’s temple for himself and his grandmother, who opened liquor vends outside the temples and Gurudwaras, whose entire politics was anti-Hindu, now as soon as the elections came, he remembered the priests and priests. ? pic.twitter.com/KMKntiOlXW — BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) December 31, 2024
At a press conference, New Delhi MP Bansuri challenged Kejriwal to implement the schemes announced by him including the ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ and said that at present there is no model code of conduct in force.
Bansuri said the AAP government has not been able to pay Rs 18,000 to the imams of mosques for months due to lack of funds and yet Kejriwal is trying to appease the priests and priests just before the elections.
He questioned why no honorarium was given to the priests and priests in the last 10 years? He alleged that now at the time of elections he is promising them honorarium in a ‘deceitful’ manner.
AAP hit back
AAP hit back at BJP by issuing an ‘open challenge’ to it and challenging it to launch similar schemes in the 20 states where it is in power. On X, Kejriwal said that ever since he announced this scheme, BJP has been abusing him.
BJP people have been abusing me since yesterday, ever since the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana was announced. My question to him is – will the country benefit by abusing me? You have governments in 20 states. You have been in power in Gujarat for 30 years. Till now you have seen the priests and… — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 31, 2024
Kejriwal wrote on the post, “BJP people have been abusing me since yesterday, ever since the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana was announced. My question to them is – will the country benefit by abusing me? Your governments in 20 states. You have a government in Gujarat for the past 30 years. Why don’t you respect it now? Instead of abusing me, you have shown the way to your 20 states. If I implement this, then everyone will benefit, why do you abuse me?
Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said he was confident that ‘God will definitely listen to the prayers of the priests’ to make Kejriwal the chief minister again.
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