Amid protest by a group of Pujaris outside the Pracheen Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, registering the priest of Marghat Wale Baba temple near Kashmiri Gate ISBT while Chief Minister Atishi got the Granthis of a Gurudwara in the Karol Bagh area registered.

Meanwhile, protesting Pujaris outside the Pracheen Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place have demanded that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should clarify why no financial support was provided under the government schemes in the last 10 years.

"Today I visited Marghat Baba's temple (ISBT) and launched the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. Today is the birthday of the Mahant ji here. I also celebrated his birthday with him," he said in a post on X. The ceremony began with the AAP Supremo, along with his wife Sunita Kejriwal, performing ‘Darshan Poojan’, taking blessings of Lord Hanuman, and registering temple Mahants on Tuesday.

Kejriwal also addressed the BJP criticism saying the BJP members have been criticising him since the scheme's announcement and questioned whether the country would benefit from such criticism. Kejriwal pointed out that the BJP holds power in 20 states and has been in control of Gujarat for 30 years and asked why the party had not shown respect for priests and granthis in those states during that time. He further emphasised that his Government had set an example by implementing the scheme in Delhi and suggested that the BJP should replicate the initiative in its States instead of criticising him.

"BJP people have been abusing me since yesterday, ever since the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana was announced. My question to them is, will the country benefit from abusing me? You have governments in 20 states. You have been in power in Gujarat for 30 years. Why haven't you respected the priests and granthis there till now? Come on, do it now? I have shown the way to everyone. Instead of abusing me, why don't you implement it in your 20 states, then everyone will benefit? Why do you abuse me?" the AAP National Convenor said on X.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi visited Gurudwara Sahib in Karol Bagh, registering Granthis who pray for a landslide victory for the Same Aadmi Party (AAP). During her visit, Atishi offered prayers at Sant Sujan Singh Maharaj Gurudwara in central Delhi.

She added, “During registration, granthis blessed Arvind Kejriwal and me, saying this is the first time since Maharaja Ranjit Singh that a government has thought of granthis.

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.

Kejriwal earlier on Monday said all the Hindu temple priests and granthis of Gurudwaras will be paid a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 under the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. As the politics over the honorarium gathered momentum in Delhi, a group of priests staged a protest against Kejriwal outside the Connaught Place temple for announcing the honorarium after a delay of 10 years.