BJP's Bansuri Swaraj slams Arvind Kejriwal's 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana'

In New Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have been vocal in their criticism of a new initiative proposed by Arvind Kejriwal, the Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Delhi, known as the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. The scheme, announced recently, seeks to provide an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month to the priests of temples and the granthis of Gurudwaras once the AAP returns to power in the upcoming assembly elections. This announcement has occurred against a backdrop of earlier controversies surrounding AAP's policies. BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia has publicly denounced Kejriwal as "anti-Hindu" and has implied that the scheme represents a desperate attempt to secure votes as elections approach. He pointed out previous allegations against the AAP government, which he claims involved dealing with liquor mafias near holy places, raising questions about Kejriwal's sincerity in his newly proposed initiatives. Kejriwal, however, countered the BJP's attacks by asking why the BJP hasn't implemented similar respectful measures for priests in other states where they govern. He challenged the BJP to follow his lead and implement supportive measures for religious figures rather than merely criticizing him. Bansuri Swaraj, another BJP leader, accused Kejriwal of engaging in what she termed "arbitrary appeasement politics" aimed at garnering votes from the priestly class, indicating that AAP has previously failed to fulfill promises to other religious figures, such as the Imams. Throughout this political discourse, both parties are positioning themselves in the context of the upcoming assembly elections, with Kejriwal promoting his new scheme as a groundbreaking initiative reflecting respect for religious leaders, while the BJP strives to highlight perceived inconsistencies and opportunism in AAP's actions.