₹18,000 monthly for Hindu, Sikh priests if AAP returns to power: Kejriwal

Ahead of the polls due early next year, the Delhi Cabinet on December 12 approved the “Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana” for ₹1,000 monthly for women

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a ₹18,000 monthly honorarium for Hindu and Sikh priests if the party returns to power. He said he would launch the registrations under the proposed “Pujari, Granthi Samman Yojana” from Connaught Place’s Hanuman Mandir on Tuesday.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said he would launch the registrations under the proposed “Pujari, Granthi Samman Yojana” on Tuesday. (PTI)

“The temple priests and gurdwara granthis make important contributions to society but no government or party has paid any attention to them,” said Kejriwal. He added these priests have promoted culture and rituals. “I will register the priests at the Hanuman Mandir. After that in all temples and gurdwaras of Delhi, our MLAs [members of legislative assembly], candidates, and workers will start registering the pujaris and granthis.”

Ahead of the assembly polls due early next year, the Delhi Cabinet on December 12 approved the “Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana” for ₹1,000 monthly for women. On the same day, Kejriwal announced the allowance under the scheme would be increased to ₹2,100 per month if AAP came back to power.

Subsequently, AAP launched registration of the women under the scheme triggering a controversy. Delhi’s women and child development department on December 25 issued a notice, warning the AAP against the registration drive. It said that the project is “non-existent” and is yet to be notified. The AAP alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sent police to camps to stop the registration under the scheme.

On Monday, Kejriwal asked the BJP not to send police to stop registrations of priests and granthis. “I request the BJP not to stop the registration of pujaris and granthis under the scheme otherwise they will suffer. It will anger the God. The pujaris and granthis work as a bridge between us and God and deliver our prayers to God. If you send police to trouble the pujaris and granthis, they will curse you. The BJP lodged a fake case and sent police to stop registration under the Mahila Samman Yojana but could not stop it. The registration continues,” said Kejriwal.

Asked how would the government arrange funds to pay the priests, Kejriwal said, “I will not let there be any dearth of funds for this scheme.”

Hindu and Sikh priests are considered influential among their followers as they interact with them daily. The Sikhs have a significant presence in around five of 70 assembly constituencies of Delhi. Around five other constituencies have sizable Sikh voters.

The AAP government in 2019 increased the monthly allowances of Delhi imams to ₹18,000 from ₹10,000 monthly. The salaries of imams have not been paid for the last 14 months, an imam told HT.