New Delhi, 30 Dec

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that if re-elected, his party would launch a 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana' to give a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 to Hindu temple priests and granthis of gurdwaras.

The announcement comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, with AAP seeking to retain power for a fourth consecutive term.

"Pujaris and granthis are an important part of our society, but they are often a neglected section. For the first time in the country, we are introducing a scheme to support them, under which they will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000," Kejriwal said, adding, registration for the scheme will start tomorrow.

He also said he would visit the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place on Tuesday to oversee the registration process for priests there.

Registration will also be done at other temples and gurdwaras across the city by the AAP workers, he said.

Kejriwal also accused the BJP of trying to scuttle several of his party's welfare schemes. "Just like the BJP tried to stop the Mahila Samman Yojana by sending police but couldn't, similarly they shouldn't try to stop the 'Pujari-Granthi Samman' scheme. BJP will incur a great sin by doing this.

"This scheme is a tribute to their spiritual contribution to society and their efforts to preserve our cultural heritage," he added in a social media post made after the announcement.

The former chief minister did not specify clear guidelines for the registration process.

He said the number of registrations to avail of the proposed honorarium will be made public once the process is completed.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, who also attended the press conference, lauded the initiative. "When Aam Aadmi Party forms the government in Delhi again, temple priests and Gurudwara granthis who have been preserving and carrying forward our culture and civilisation for generations will be given an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month. Arvind Kejriwal Ji's decision is not only a tribute to the service of the priests and granthis but also a resolve to preserve our heritage," she wrote in a post on X.

Meanwhile, imams and muezzins of the mosques under the Delhi Waqf Board in Delhi staged a protest outside Kejriwal's residence over the delay in the release of their salaries. Protestors claimed their monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 (for imams) and Rs 16,000 (for muezzins) have been delayed for over one and a half years.