NEW DELHI, Jan 19: Congress leader Udit Raj on Sunday dubbed AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal as “anti-Dalit”, saying that while his party announced a scheme to provide a monthly honorarium to temple priests and gurdwara granthis, it left out priests of Valmiki and Ravidas temples.
On Monday, ‘bhikshus’ and priests of Valmiki and Ravidas temples will protest against the AAP to demand that they be covered under the party’s proposed scheme, the former MP said.
On December 30, Kejriwal announced that the AAP would give Rs 18,000 a month to temple priests and gurdwara granthis under the ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ if it returns to power in Delhi after the upcoming assembly polls.
Kerjiwal is “anti-Dalit”. He recently announced a scheme to give Rs 18,000 a month to temple priests and gurdwara granthis but it does not cover priests of Valmiki and Ravidas temples, Raj said.
When the AAP formed the government in Punjab, it promised that a Dalit would be made the deputy chief minister. However, it did not keep its promise, the Congress leader said.
Of the party’s 11 Rajya Sabha MPs, not one is from the SC or OBC community, he said.
On Monday, ‘bhikshus’ and priests of Valmiki and Ravidas temples will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar against the AAP and demand that they be given the same honorarium, Raj said.
The 70-member Delhi Assembly goes to polls on February 5 and the results will be announced on February 8. (PTI)