'Election stunt': Muslim religious leaders over AAP govt's announcement of Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana

New Delhi, Jan 1 Undeterred by the storm over the Mahila Samman Yojana, AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced yet another financial assistance scheme, this time for temple and gurdwara priests who will get Rs 18,000 a month. The political slugfest between the AAP, BJP and the Congress over this scheme is likely to continue before the Assembly polls scheduled to take place in Delhi in February this year.

Slamming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government over launching the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana in the national capital just to influence the Hindu and Sikh votes towards it for electoral gains ahead of the Assembly polls in the national capital, the All India Imam Association Chairman Maulana Sajid Rashidi has said, "This is an election stunt. They (AAP) have done this for the elections. The question is, Delhi's Muslim community was already aligned with him (Arvind Kejriwal), frustrated with Congress and having no other options, they gave their full support to Kejriwal and voted for him in large numbers... This is the reason that the AAP won twice in 2020 and 2015 Delhi Assembly polls."

Rashidi further added: "Now for the upcoming Assembly polls it is projected that the Muslim community is likely to shift away from the AAP towards the Congress. Therefore, the AAP has announced the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana to influence the Hindu and Sikh vote bank in Delhi towards it. Earlier, the AAP had announced the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana for the women in the city which was ultimately declared "non-existent" by Delhi's Women and Child Development Department. The AAP had first announced to give a monthly assistance to women residing in the national capital of Rs 1,000 which was then increased to Rs 2,100. If the AAP government felt that this was the right step to take then they should have first passed this scheme in the Assembly and then officially made the announcement.

He also said that if the AAP government was serious about the welfare of Pujaris and Granthis then they should have passed the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana in the Assembly first and allocated a budget for this scheme before making the official announcement.

"The AAP did nothing about this scheme till now and now has announced that if it comes to power in Delhi again then it will implement this scheme. Even if AAP comes to power it has to first implement it which is uncertain. The meaning of this scheme is that till the state government has money it will give allowance to pujaris and granthis and this can stop anytime the government wants to stop it. The pujaris and granthis must understand that this scheme will not pay their salaries or dues every month and they will face the same situation as that of Imams who are yet to be paid by the Delhi government since the last few years."

Asked about the AAP government's Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, Maulana Arshad Nadvi said, "We welcome the announcement made by Arvind Kejriwal yesterday. However, we do not agree with the 18,000 rupees figure because it does not cover the priests of temples, granthis of gurudwaras, or imams of mosques... This amount is quite meagre as compared to people employed in labour work who get paid salaries between Rs 18,000 to Rs 24,000 every month. Merely giving Rs 18,000 per month as promised by the AAP government is an insult to Imams, pujaris, granthis, priests, etc. For every kind of religious and auspicious occasion, people need pujaris, imams or granthis, etc to conduct religious rituals whether it is related to birth, death or a pious occasion. The Arvind Kejriwal government has announced this scheme which is a welcome step but it must not remain a promise on paper only. This scheme has only been announced now by the AAP government as it was first announced for Imams in mosques."

Source: IANS