New Delhi, Dec 31 Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav on Tuesday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the registration drive for the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana,' accusing the party's National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal of "misleading" the people of Delhi with hollow promises.
Speaking to IANS, Yadav said, "Kejriwal is known for making announcements without accountability. He doesn't have any answers for his previous unfulfilled promises."
"When he goes to any Assembly constituency and is questioned about the progress of his previous promises -- be it on electricity bills, contaminated water, or damaged roads -- he evades answers. These announcements are purely to mislead the public," he said.
Amid growing criticism, the AAP initiated the registration process for the scheme, which promises temple priests and Gurdwara granthis an honorarium of Rs 18,000 per month.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi launched the initiative from a Gurdwara in Karol Bagh, while Kejriwal began registrations at the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place.
Speaking on the scheme, Kejriwal remarked, "This is the first initiative of its kind in the country, providing monthly financial support to priests and granthis."
However, the announcement has drawn criticism from both BJP and Congress leaders, who have termed it a "poll gimmick."
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera labelled the scheme as yet another "brazen attempt" by the AAP to deceive Delhi's residents.
"No matter what the AAP does, the people of Delhi are resolved to bring a Congress-led government," Khera told IANS.
BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar also hit out at the AAP, accusing the party of hypocrisy.
"The AAP has become the 'new Congress,' resorting to similar tactics of wooing Hindu voters during elections," Chandrasekhar told IANS.
He compared Kejriwal's actions to Congress leaders Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, who often visit temples during polls.
Chandrasekhar further slammed the AAP for allegedly abandoning its anti-corruption roots, saying, "AAP, born out of a crusade against corruption, now promotes the same graft it once opposed. It has truly become the new Congress."
Both BJP and Congress have accused the AAP of using the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana' as a last-minute effort to gain votes ahead of the Assembly elections, calling it a "desperate poll stunt."
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