Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has announced a monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 for Hindu temple priests and Sikh gurdwara granthis if his party is re-elected to power. Kejriwal declared the plan on Monday and said registrations for the "Pujari, Granthi Samman Yojana" would begin at Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place on Tuesday.

Speaking about the scheme, Kejriwal stated, “The temple priests and gurdwara granthis make important contributions to society, but no government or party has paid any attention to them. These priests have promoted culture and rituals." He added that after launching the registration in Hanuman Mandir, AAP MLAs, candidates, and workers would facilitate registrations across all temples and gurdwaras in Delhi.

BJP criticised for obstructing welfare schemes

AAP's announcement comes at a time when there is disagreement with the BJP over welfare schemes. Recently, the Delhi Cabinet introduced the "Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana," offering ₹1,000 per month to women. Kejriwal also promised to raise the amount to ₹2,100 per month if his party wins again. However, there have been issues with starting the scheme, as its registrations faced challenges.

The women and child development department warned that the project had not been officially notified and was still "non-existent." AAP accused the BJP of sending police to disrupt the registration camps, creating controversy.

On Monday, Kejriwal urged the BJP not to interfere with the new initiative. “I request the BJP not to stop the registration of pujaris and granthis under the scheme; otherwise, they will suffer. It will anger God. The pujaris and granthis work as a bridge between us and God and deliver our prayers to God. If you send police to trouble the pujaris and granthis, they will curse you," he said.

When asked about funding for the new scheme, Kejriwal assured there would be no shortage of resources. “I will not let there be any dearth of funds for this scheme,” he said.

Priests and granthis are important in society and have a strong influence in their communities. Sikh voters are especially significant in about ten of Delhi's 70 constituencies.

In 2019, AAP increased the monthly payment for imams from ₹10,000 to ₹18,000. However, some imams have said they haven’t been paid for the last 14 months.

Kejriwal’s latest announcement is expected to increase political competition as the assembly elections are coming up early next year.