Political battle over 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojna' announced by Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal intensified on Tuesday, as he launched registration process for the scheme at a temple in Kashmiri Gate in New Delhi.
Kejriwal, who was scheduled to launch the registration process at the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, changed the venue amid protests by a group of priests at the CP temple for announcing the honorarium after a delay of 10 years.
The Bharatiya Janata Party criticised Kejriwal, dubbing him a 'Chunavi Hindu' (election-time Hindu), and released a video highlighting alleged instances of Hinduism being insulted by AAP leaders.
On Monday, the AAP chief announced a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 for temple priests and granthis of gurudwaras if the party returned to power in Delhi.
On Tuesday, the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place turned into a political arena as workers of the AAP and the BJP engaged in intense slogan shouting against each other.
Kejriwal, who earlier announced the launch of registration process from the Hanuman temple, gave a slip to the CP venue and instead reached 'Marghat Wale Baba' temple in north Delhi's Kashmiri Gate and registered the priest there.
Chief Minister Atishi also launched the registration process for granthis at a gurudwara in Karol Bagh.
The Aam Aadmi Party, however, did not share the details about the number of priests and granthis registered for the scheme on the first day.
Kejriwal visited Marghat Wale Baba temple along with his wife Sunita and registered the priest there.
'Today I visited Marghat Baba's temple (ISBT) and launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Today is the birthday of Mahant ji here. I also celebrated his birthday with him,' he said in a post on X.
The former Delhi chief minister alleged that the BJP tried its best to stop the registration process for the scheme, and said no one can stop a devotee from meeting the god.
As 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.
Kejriwal said the BJP instead of cursing him, should implement the 'Pujari Granthi' scheme in the states ruled by it.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said, "Kejriwal who questioned the very existence of Lord Ram can never be a Hindu nationalist. The people of Delhi have resolved to bid farewell to an opportunistic 'Chunavi Hindu' from power corridors of Delhi."
Sachdeva also released a video collage prepared by the social media department of the party, showing old clips of Kejriwal and his party leaders' statements allegedly insulting Hinduism.
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj called the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojna' an 'appeasement' move ahead of the assembly polls.
At a press conference, the New Delhi MP challenged Kejriwal to implement the schemes announced by him, including the 'Mahila Samman Yojna', saying there is no model code of conduct in place.
"Why is Kejriwal making promises? If he truly wants to help priests and granthis, he should immediately hold a cabinet meeting and provide them a benefit of Rs 18,000. After all, it is his government," Swaraj said.
She said that while Kejriwal made the poll promise of paying Rs 18,000 to priests and granthis, imams who were already getting the benefit were now protesting for payment of their pending salaries for 17 months.
AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh hit back at the BJP, alleging the party was frustrated with the announcement made by Kejriwal and was unsure of its next move.
Despite ruling in 20 states and claiming to be the champions of Hindu interests, the BJP never implemented such a scheme, he said.
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