New Delhi: Ahead of Delhi Assembly Elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday made a big announcement regarding monetary aid for Hindu priests and Sikh granthis. Kejriwal promised to give Rs 18,000 to Hindu priests and Sikh granthis if his government comes to power again in the upcoming Delhi polls. He said that the AAP would launch 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojna'.
"Under Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, an honorarium will be given to the priests of temples and the 'granthis' of the Gurudwara every month. They will be given an honorarium of about Rs 18,000 per month," he said during a rally. The registration for this scheme will start tomorrow, December 31.
"Registration for this scheme will begin tomorrow. I will be visiting Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place tomorrow to start the registration of this scheme," the former Delhi CM added.
Kejriwal said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress should learn from the AAP and should implement welfare schemes like this in the states where they are in power.
"We know how pujaris serve us. Be it the birthday of our kid or the death of a loved one, they have always connected us with God. But they never gave attention to their own families, and neither did we pay enough attention to them. This is happening for the first time in the country. We have done many works in the national capital which happened for the very first time. We improved schools and hospitals and made bus travel for women. I just hope that the BJP and the Congress governments will learn from this and will implement such schemes in the state run by them," Kejriwal said.
The former Delhi CM accused the BJP of trying to stop Mahila Samman Yojana by making false cases and sending police. He said that the registration for the same scheme is still underway.
Earlier on Monday, Imams of the Delhi Waqf Board protested outside the residence of Kejriwal over the delay in the release of their salaries.
The Delhi Assembly Elections are scheduled to take place in early 2025.
