NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday slammed Aam Aadmi Party for their Pujari Granthi Samman Rashi Scheme and said that the AAP remembers Lord Rama only when they think that they are losing the election.
Earlier today, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal announced that the party will give a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 for ‘pujaris’ of the city’s temples and ‘granthis’ of Gurdwaras if they won the Delhi elections.
Announcing the scheme, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the registration of pujaris and granthis for the scheme will begin at the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place on December 31.
Addressing a presser, Delhi BJP president Virendraa Sachdeva asked the AAP about the money that given to Muslim Maulanas, Imams but not Pandit.
“In court, he has to answer why he gave money to Maulanas, Imams, and Mullahs, but not to Pandits and Granthis. To avoid this, today he made this election promise that we, the priests, will get it, which the Bharatiya Janata Party has been raising for years. And for your information, since 2013, they had started giving salaries to Maulvis,” Sachdeva said.
“Till now, they have given 58 crore 30 lakh 90 thousand rupees. So now the temple priests will ask Arvind Kejriwal, ‘You have given 58 crore 30 lakh 90 thousand rupees since 2013 till 2024. Why haven’t you remembered us Pandits and Granthis? Now, when elections are approaching, the ground is slipping beneath your feet, you suddenly remember Lord Ram,” he added.
Earlier, Kejriwal took a swipe at BJP and urged them not to interfere with the registration of pujaris and granthis under the scheme.
When asked how many pujaris and granthis were likely to benefit, Kejriwal said he would share the number after the completion of the registration exercise.”We will not let the shortage of funds affect the scheme,” he said in response to a question on the financial burden on the exchequer if the scheme is implemented.