New Delhi [India], December 31: BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla on Tuesday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), of being the “biggest fraud” over the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. The scheme, launched by the Delhi government, aims to provide financial support to priests and granthis, but Poonawalla’s criticism stems from what he described as AAP’s failure to fulfill promises made to religious leaders.
Poonawalla highlighted that Delhi government’s RTI records reveal AAP’s failure to provide promised wages to maulvis and imams since January 2021 and May 2022. He accused the party of exploiting its own voter base, emphasizing that the needs of granthis and pujaris have been consistently ignored by the AAP.
“Nobody is a bigger fraud than Arvind Kejriwal and AAP,” Poonawalla remarked, pointing to the discrepancy between the Delhi government’s promises and the reality. “AAP has not fulfilled its promise to provide wages to maulvis and imams. They looted their own vote bank without ever addressing the needs of granthis and pujaris,” he added.
The BJP leader further questioned the timing of the announcement of the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, implying that AAP had waited until elections were approaching to launch the scheme. He urged the government to clear any backlogs as they may not remain in power for long. “AAP is in power now; why wait for elections? They should clear all backlogs,” Poonawalla said.
The Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana was launched by Kejriwal and his wife Sunita Kejriwal from the Margahat Baba Temple in Kashmiri Gate. Under the scheme, priests of temples and granthis of Gurudwaras in Delhi will receive an honorarium of approximately Rs 18,000 per month.
In addition to his comments on the scheme, Poonawalla addressed concerns raised by Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor, VK Saxena, over Kejriwal’s recent remarks about Chief Minister Atishi. Saxena had criticized Kejriwal for referring to Atishi as a “temporary Chief Minister.” Poonawalla condemned Kejriwal’s actions, calling them disrespectful to the position of Chief Minister, the constitutional process, and the office of the Lieutenant Governor.
“The LG’s letter expresses disapproval of Kejriwal’s remarks, which undermine the dignity of the CM’s office, the constitutional process, and the President,” Poonawalla said, reinforcing the gravity of the issue. Saxena’s letter had also expressed his hurt over Kejriwal’s comments, calling them an affront to the constitutional values and the dignity of the office of Chief Minister.