Bharatiya Janata Party MP Bansuri Swaraj called the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojna' announced by Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal an "appeasement" move ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls.
In 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.
Kejriwal on Monday announced a monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 for all the Hindu temple priests and granthis of Gurudwaras after AAP returns to power in February.
Bansuri said that the AAP government was not able to pay ₹18,000 to Imams of mosques for months due to lack of funds and yet Kejriwal was trying to appease the priests and granthis just before the elections.
She questioned why no honorarium was paid to the priests and granthis in the last 10 years. Now, at the time of elections, he is promising them honorarium in a "deceitful" manner, she charged.
Swaraj asserted that Kejriwal’s interest in priests and granthis is purely election-driven. "For years, Kejriwal has shown little regard for religion or religious places, yet now, as elections approach, he appears to focus on priests and granthis. It raises questions about why pastors and priests from other communities have been overlooked,” she said.
She also highlighted a shift in priorities, saying, “While schools were promised, the focus seemed to shift elsewhere. Now, with elections nearing, temples suddenly take centre stage. This appears to reflect a calculated strategy.”
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