Delhi Election 2025: Arvind Kejriwal fires back at BJP over AAP’s ₹18,000 a month for pujaris – ‘why do you abuse me?’

Delhi Election 2025: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched the registration for ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ scheme that promises ₹18,000 a month for temple priests and gurdwara granthis.

The former chief minister of Delhi visited the Shri Marghat Wale Baba Mandir at Kashmere Gate in the national capital along with his wife, Sunita Kejriwal, to start the registration for the scheme. Kejriwal announced the scheme on Monday during the run-up to the Delhi Assembly Election 2025.

“Today I am making an important announcement regarding a scheme. The name of the scheme is Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Under this, there is a provision to give an honorarium to the priests of temples and the 'granthis' of the Gurudwara. They will be given an honorarium of about ₹18,000 per month. This is happening for the first time in the country,” said Kejriwal, who had earlier said that he would launch the scheme from Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place. 

 The venue was, however, changed at the last moment due to a face-off between AAP and BJP workers.  

“The priest is a class that has carried forward the rituals from generation to generation. They never paid attention to their family, and we never paid attention to them,” Kejriwal said

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of abusing him ever since the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana was announced.

“You have been in power in Gujarat for 30 years. Why haven't you respected the priests and granthis there till now? Come on, do it now? I have shown the way to everyone. Instead of abusing me, why don't you implement it in your 20 states so that everyone will benefit? Why do you abuse me?” he said.

The Pujari Granthi Samman Rashi Scheme, as it is called, is the AAP’s fifth poll promise in poll season. The Assembly elections in Delhi are due early next year.

The national capital's ruling party had earlier announced four welfare schemes targeting women, Dalits and senior citizens. It also promised 24×7 water supply.

When is the Delhi Assembly Election 2025?

BJP Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Bansuri Swaraj hit out at Kejriwal over the scheme saying that is intended to appease the voters ahead of upcoming assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference, Swaraj said that Arvind Kejriwal has started a new kind of appeasement politics called 'Arvind's appeasement.'. “We heard a lot about election slogans, but Arvind Kejriwal has brought a new wind of election gimmicks,” she said.

The elections to the 70-member Delhi assembly are due in February 2025. The AAP, led by Kejriwal, is seeking to retain power in Delhi for a third time. The party won assembly elections in 2015 and 2020. The party won 67 seats in 2015 and 63 in 2020.