Chunav Manch: BJP Lok Sabha MP Bansuri Swaraj on Saturday sharply criticised former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the newly announced ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana.’ The scheme, which offers an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month to priests (pujaris) of temples and ‘granthis’ of Gurudwaras, was launched ahead of the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections. Swaraj accused Kejriwal of using the initiative to appease voters for electoral gain, calling it a form of “Arvind’s appeasement politics” during the Chunav Manch debate.
Swaraj calls for immediate implementation
Addressing the Chunav Manch, Swaraj remarked, “If this scheme is truly for the welfare of religious leaders, why wait for the elections to end? It should be implemented immediately.” She also questioned the timing of the scheme, saying that Kejriwal had only remembered the religious community’s needs as elections neared.
In a move to promote the initiative, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, visited the Shri Marghat Wale Baba Mandir at Kashmere Gate and officially launched the registration for the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, reiterating his commitment to supporting religious leaders across the city.
