‘Lord Ram inspires him’: Arvind Kejriwal on why AAP chose to give ₹18,000 ‘dakshina’ to pujaris

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) faced criticism after its chief, Arvind Kejriwal, promised a monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 for temple priests and gurdwara granthis under the proposed Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana if re-elected in the Delhi Assembly Election 2025.

Taking a dig at the AAP over this scheme, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla questioned why the AAP is announcing schemes like Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana and not just giving money without making such declarations.

"...AAP is in power right now. Why not give money to pujaris and granthis instead of announcing schemes?..." Poonawalla was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

Arvind Kejriwal recently explained the reason behind giving ₹18,000 to priests and granthis. In an interview with Shraddha TV channel, he said this ₹18,000 is a 'dakshina (offering, sacrificial fee)' to them.

“I know many priests who wake up at 3 am to worship God and serve people. They are able to earn ₹3000- ₹4000 per month... But did anyone ever think about how they would run their homes and families? So we decided that their children should also have a good future and respect...I don't consider this as an honorarium. This is a dakshina of ₹18,000 from the government,” Kejriwal said.

'Free bus service a boon for women'

Kejriwal also said that the free bus service is like a boon for women.

“When there was no free bus service, I have seen women fighting with a conductor for ₹2. There's a large population for whom even ₹1 and ₹2 hold importance. This free bus travel service has proved to be a boon for them. Many people benefit from this scheme - for those taking jobs far away from their homes, studying, etc,” Kejriwal said.

‘I take inspiration from Lord Ram's life’

Arvind Kejriwal said he takes inspiration from the life of Lord Ram. “When I was in jail, months passed; I returned after six months. I used to think that sometimes, people feel weakened, but Lord Ram was in the forest for 14 years...,” Kejriwal said.

Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in March 2024 concerning the Delhi Excise Policy 'scam' case. He was granted interim and condition bail in September 2024. He walked out of the jail on September 13, 2024.

Delhi Election Dates

Kejriwal's AAP is in a tight contest against the BJP and the Congress in the upcoming Delhi Election. The Delhi Assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5, and the votes will be counted on February 8.

The last date for filing nominations is January 17. The last date for scrutinizing nominations is January 18. The last date for withdrawing candidature is January 20.

After a historic win of 67 out of 70 seats in 2015, AAP dominated the 2020 assembly elections as well by winning 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP got eight seats.

Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has suffered setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seat.