CM Atishi & Arvind Kejriwal initiate registration process
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially launched the ‘Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana’, with AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Chief Minister Atishi initiating the registration process for religious leaders across the city. The scheme, aimed at providing a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 to Pujaris and Granthis, was launched on Tuesday with great fanfare, despite attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to stall the process.
The registration event began at Marghat Wale Baba Hanuman Mandir in ISBT, where Arvind Kejriwal, accompanied by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, performed ‘Darshan Poojan’ and registered the temple Mahant as the first beneficiary.
Kejriwal shared his experience on social media, saying, “Today I visited Marghat Baba’s temple (ISBT) and launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Today is the birthday of Mahant ji here. I also celebrated his birthday with him. The BJP tried its best to stop the registration today. But no one
can stop a devotee from meeting his God.”
Addressing the BJP’s criticism of the scheme, Kejriwal questioned the party’s stance, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Will abusing me benefit the nation? Since the announcement of the ‘Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana’, BJP leaders have been hurling abuses at me. My question to them is, will abusing me benefit the nation? Your party governs 20 states, including Gujarat, where you’ve ruled for 30 years. Why haven’t you honored pujaris and granthis there? Start now, I’ve shown you the way. Instead of abusing me, implement this scheme across your states so that everyone benefits.”
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi also attended the registration ceremony at Karol Bagh’s Gurudwara Sahib, where she registered Granthi Sujan Singh Maharaj, who blessed both Kejriwal and Atishi for a landslide victory. “Granthis blessed Arvind Kejriwal and me, saying this is the first time since Maharaja Ranjit Singh that a government has thought of granthis,” Atishi said. “Pujaris and granthis are with us through life’s joys and sorrows. It is the government’s duty to care for them, which is why this scheme was launched.”
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh criticized BJP for failing to implement such initiatives despite governing several states.
“BJP has been rattled since the announcement of this Rs 18,000 monthly honorarium for pujaris and granthis. Despite ruling in 20 states and claiming to be the champions of Hindu interests, they’ve never implemented such a scheme. Instead, they resort to shouting and abusing. If BJP has any moral integrity or respect for pujaris and granthis, let them implement such a scheme in their states,” Singh said.
Gopal Rai, AAP Delhi Convenor and Cabinet Minister, emphasized that Delhi
is the first state to introduce this scheme.
“Delhi is the first state where Arvind Kejriwal has announced a Pujari-Granthi Samman Yojana. This reflects months of deliberation and fulfills long-standing aspirations. The AAP is the first government to publicly commit to providing a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 to all pujaris and granthis after returning to power in Delhi,” Rai stated.
With this initiative, the AAP government continues its focus on supporting religious leaders who serve communities, marking another significant step in their ongoing social welfare programs.
