Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in a press conference on December 30, made a significant promise aimed at securing support from the religious community ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. He pledged a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for temple priests and gurdwara granthis if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regains power. Kejriwal emphasized the selfless service of these religious custodians and criticized past governments for neglecting their financial well-being.
He announced that the registration for this scheme would begin the following day, with Kejriwal personally initiating the process at the Hanuman Temple. In a pointed remark, he urged the BJP not to obstruct the program, suggesting that doing so would be "a sin."
This initiative is part of a series of welfare measures introduced by AAP, which has previously launched the Sanjeevani Yojana for senior citizens, offering free healthcare for those above 60, and the Mahila Samman Yojana, providing Rs 2,100 in monthly assistance to women.
In the same press conference, Kejriwal escalated his attack on the BJP, accusing them of harboring illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters in Delhi. He demanded the arrest of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, asserting that Puri possessed detailed information about the resettlement of these communities. This was in response to the BJP’s dismissal of AAP's allegations about "Operation Lotus," which involved voter manipulation using these groups.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had previously refuted these claims, challenging the plausibility of Rohingyas supporting the BJP and dismissing AAP's allegations as baseless.
With Delhi Assembly elections scheduled before February 2024, these developments underscore the charged political environment, as both parties sharpen their narratives to sway voters in the capital.
