Demand salaries from Kejriwal, shut doors on AAP leaders if ignored: BJP MP to temples, gurudwaras

BJP MP Parvesh Verma on Monday asked temple priests and gurudwara granthis to nudge Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to give them salaries, saying the government was paying honorariums only to imams and muazzins.

He also told them to shut the doors of temples and gurudwaras on any Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader or candidate if the government doesn't address their demand within three days.

Based on his advice, management committees of a Shiv temple in Tatarpur village and a gurudwara in Tihar village shot letters to Kejriwal.

Reacting to this, the AAP government said it is already paying salaries to priests and granthis on par with those paid by the BJP-ruled state governments.

''We are giving them as much salaries as what the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governments are giving,'' an AAP spokesperson said.

The development assumes significance as all political parties have intensified campaigning in the run up to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls.

Earlier in the day, Verma himself wrote to the chief minister keeping forth the demand.

''I appeal to all the priests and granthis of temples and gurudwaras to write to Kejriwal to provide monthly salaries of Rs 42,000.

''If he fails to convey his decision within three days, boards should be installed outside temples and gurudwaras banning the entry of any AAP leader, candidate and the chief minister himself, until the salaries are paid,'' the West Delhi BJP MP said.

He also claimed that the Kejriwal government paid Rs 101 crore to maulvis and muazzins using taxpayers' money.

''It is the money paid as taxes by the people and it can not be spent on just one religion,'' he said.

An official of the Delhi Waqf Board said monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 is being paid to about 150 imams and Rs 16,000 to 58 muazzins of mosques that are registered with it.

Over 2,000 imams and muazzins of private mosques are paid an honorarium of Rs 14,000 and Rs 12,000 per month, respectively, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)