Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Tuesday visited Sant Sujan Singh Maharaj Gurudwara in the Karol Bagh area to register the granthis under the 'Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana' scheme. She got the granthis of the gurudwara registered for the scheme announced by her party under which monthly honorarium will be given to pujaris and granthis. Her visit comes hours after her party supremo Arvind Kejriwal launched the scheme at a temple in Delhi.
He launched the scheme, registering the priest of Marghat Wale Baba temple near Kashmiri Gate ISBT.
What is 'Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana' scheme?
Under the scheme, Kejriwal promised that all the Hindu temple priests and granthis will be paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) returns to power in Delhi.
Kejriwal said registration will also be done at other temples and gurdwaras across the city by the AAP workers.
"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," Kejriwal said in a post on X.
BJP tried its best to stop the registration process: Kejriwal
Kejriwal alleged that the BJP tried its best to stop the registration process for the scheme but no one can stop a devotee from meeting the god.
As the politics over the honorarium gathered momentum in Delhi, a group of priests staged a protest against Kejriwal outside the Connaught Place temple for announcing the honorarium after a delay of 10 years.
The AAP chief was accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal during the visit to Marghat Wale Baba temple.
BJP calls it 'political stunt'
The fresh scheme for the religious for pujaris and granthis evoked sharp reactions from opposition BJP and the Congress.
The saffron party dubbed the announcement a "political stunt", while the Congress termed it a "trickery" by Kejriwal, saying Imams of mosques in the city were protesting outside his residence, demanding payment of their salaries allegedly pending for 17 months.
Delhi BJP chief Veerendra Sachdeva said that Kejriwal is now a "defeated and desperate" leader who is making populist announcements daily to stay in power.
Former Delhi MP Parvesh Verma claimed that Kejriwal is remembering 'ishwar' and 'waheguru' due to the fear of loss. But he did not remember them for the last 10 years, Verma alleged, adding he only used to remember 'maulvis' of the mosque, and used to see only one religion and one vote bank.
Meanwhile, several Imams and Muazzins of the Waqf Board registered mosques protested near Kejriwal's residence, demanding their salaries allegedly pending for the last 17 months. The AAP government pays monthly Rs 18,000 to Imams and Rs 16,000 to Muazzins of mosques registered with the Delhi Waqf Board.
The protest by Imams outside the residence of Kejriwal, who has announced Rs 18,000 for temple priests and granthis of Gurudwaras, exposes his "tirckery", charged Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav.
(With PTI inputs)
