Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Monday termed AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal’s announcement to provide a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 to temple priests and Gurudwara granthis after the elections if the AAP is voted back to power ”a mere electoral stunt”.
Gupta criticised Kejriwal, saying that the former Delhi Chief Minister’s sudden display of affection for priests and granthis is only because of the impending elections.
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He questioned the AAP national convener’s silence over the last ten years, alleging that the former Delhi CM, a staunch critic of Sanatan Dharma and Hindutva, ignored the plight of these priests while choosing to pay salaries to imams and placing them on a pedestal.
This move, Gupta said, reflects “Kejriwal’s appeasement and vote-bank politics”.
The BJP leader further said, “This is the same Arvind Kejriwal who opposed the construction of the Ram Temple and left no opportunity to insult Sanatan Dharma and Hindu culture. Now, his (Arvind Kejriwal) attempt to show sympathy for temple priests is nothing but a facade, a desperate effort to improve his tarnished image among the public.”
Gupta said the AAP government’s promise to provide financial assistance to temple priests and Gurudwara granthis is yet another empty promise aimed at misleading voters for electoral gains.
“Kejriwal’s newfound love for priests, conveniently awakened with the elections around the corner, exposes his hypocritical politics,” the BJP leader said.
The Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly claimed that the people of the national capital have now seen through these false promises and political gimmicks, and this time, such theatrics will not work.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal announced the launch of the ‘Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana’. Under this initiative, temple priests and Gurudwara granthis in Delhi will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 if AAP is voted back to power.
