Kejriwal Launches Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana At Marghat Wale Baba Temple, BJP Calls It 'Arvind's Appeasement'
Under the scheme, the AAP has promised to give all the Hindu temple priests and Gurudwara 'granthis' a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 if the party returns to power in the Delhi Assembly polls 2025.
Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday visited the Marghat Wale Baba temple near Kashmiri Gate ISBT in Delhi where he launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana as he registered the priest of the temple. However, he received backlash from the BJP, which accused him of indulging in appeasement politics ahead of the Delhi polls as part of a "calculated strategy".
Under the scheme, which has been announced ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls in February, all the Hindu temple priests and Gurudwara 'granthis' will be paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 if the AAP returns to power in the national capital.
In a post on X, Kejriwal said: "Today I visited Marghat Baba's temple (ISBT) and launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Today is the birthday of the Mahant ji here. I also celebrated his birthday with him".
आज मरघट वाले बाबा के मंदिर (ISBT) में दर्शन किए और पुजारी ग्रंथी सम्मान योजना का शुभारंभ किया। यहाँ के महंत जी का आज जन्मदिन है। उनके साथ जन्मदिन भी मनाया।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 31, 2024
बीजेपी ने आज रजिस्ट्रेशन रोकने की पूरी कोशिश की। लेकिन भक्त को अपने भगवान से मिलने से कोई नहीं रोक सकता। pic.twitter.com/hRfvVQ1AxG
The former Delhi chief minister also alleged in the post that the Bharatiya Janata Party tried its best to stop the scheme's registration process, but "no one can stop a devotee from meeting the god". Kejriwal was accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal during the visit to Marghat Wale Baba temple.
While announcing the scheme on Monday, Kejriwal had said that he would visit Prachin Hanuman Mandir situated in Connaught Place and register the priests of the temple in the scheme.
Following the announcement of the scheme and the political row that subsequently broke out, a group of priests staged a protest against the AAP chief outside the Connaught Place temple over a 10-year delay in announcing the honorarium.
Bansuri Swaraj Hits Out At Kejriwal Over 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana'
BJP MP hit out at Arvind Kejriwal over the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojna' announced by him on Monday, calling it "Arvind's appeasement" and "calculated strategy" ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls.
During a presser, she challenged the AAP chief to also implement the other schemes such as 'Mahila Samman Yojna' as there was no model code of conduct now. She also questioned him as to why the honorarium of Rs 18,000 for the priests and 'granthis', which was delayed for ten years, was being announced now ahead of the elections.
Bansuri slammed the AAP government for not being able to pay Rs 18,000 to Imams of mosques for months and yet trying to appease the priests and 'granthis' for political gains. She also hit out at AAP, accusing the party of not giving anything to the women of Punjab as promised under the Mahila Samman Yojana.
"We heard a lot about election slogans but Arvind Kejriwal has brought a new wind of election gimmicks... Kejriwal's government has not paid salaries to Imams and Maulvis for 17 months... He did not solve the problems of Imams and Maulvis and started a new type of appeasement politics called 'Arvind's appeasement' in which he has said that he will pay salaries to priests and granthis," she said.
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj says, "We heard a lot about election slogans but Arvind Kejriwal has brought a new wind of election gimmicks... Kejriwal's government has not paid salaries to Imams and Maulvis for 17 months... He did not solve the problems of Imams and… pic.twitter.com/vm3Lf4xQTJ
— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2024
"For years, Kejriwal has shown little regard for religion or religious places, yet now, as elections approach, he appears to focus on priests and granthis to appease them for votes. It raises questions about why pastors and priests from other communities have been overlooked," the BJP MP said.
Congress's Sandeep Dikshit Calls Kejriwal 'Pathological Liar'
Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Tuesday slammed Kejriwal, calling him a "pathological liar". He also said he would file a a criminal and civil defamation case against CM Atishi and AAP MP Sanjay Singh for alleging he had received money from the BJP.
"A few days ago, the CM said that we are taking money from the BJP. After this press conference, I will file a criminal and civil defamation case against (CM) Atishi and Sanjay Singh. I will ask for Rs 10 crore and out of that money, I will donate Rs five crore to Yamuna cleaning and the remaining half will be donated to clean the polluted air in Delhi," he said.
Dikshit also targeted the Delhi government over the sewage treatment work in the city saying that the sewage treatment capacity was at 604 MGD when Congress lost the polls and that it was the same even today.
The Congress leader went on to further point out at how the Sheila Dikshit-led government saved money during the construction of various flyover in the city, which the AAP government claims to have saved.
"The preliminary estimate of Madhuban to Mukarba Chowk flyover was made at Rs 422 crore in June 2012. After that the Cabinet decision came and the tendering was done on March 22, 2013 for Rs 280 crore...That means the money was not saved by Kejriwal's government, the money was saved by Sheila's government. I agree that you can say that the government had saved money, but saying that Kejriwal had saved money is not a lie, then tell me which word can we use for this?" Dikshit said during the press conference.
The Congress leader added, "I am sorry that I am using a very strong word for the former chief minister called 'pathological liar'."
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