The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, is facing strong criticism from Delhi’s Muslim clerics after announcing the ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana,’ which offers salaries to Hindu priests. Imams and Moazzins, who say their dues have been unpaid for months, have called this decision "a slap in the face of Muslims."

Several Maulanas have accused the Delhi administration of ignoring their predicament, sparking furious protests throughout the city. An Imam who was in charge of the protests stated, "We have been protesting for months, demanding our pending salaries, but instead of addressing our concerns, they announce money for Hindu priests." Shoaib Jamai, president of AIMIM Delhi, participated in the demonstrations and vehemently denounced the AAP administration. “Arvind Kejriwal has promised Rs 18,000 as salary to Hindu priests, which we have no objection to. But what about us? Imams and Moazzins have not been paid for 17 months. This is shameful and an insult to the Muslim community that once trusted Kejriwal as their saviour,” he said.  

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has criticised Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP government for not fulfilling promises and delaying salaries. He accused them of focusing on freebies instead of real commitments. Poonawalla shared an RTI response on X (formerly Twitter), revealing that Imams and Moazzins appointed by the Waqf Board have not been paid since May 2022, while those not under the Waqf Board have been waiting for their salaries since January 2021. “We have seen many Maulanas protesting outside Kejriwal’s residence and the CM’s house over 17 months of unpaid salaries. Why hasn’t this issue been resolved yet?” Poonawalla questioned. AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar fueled the debate by claiming that Kejriwal's jail sentence was the reason for the delay. "Now what's stopping them?" Poonawalla responded by calling for the government to be held accountable.

The announcement of the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana, offering Rs 18,000 salaries to Hindu priests, has sparked questions about its timing. Poonawala highlighted that the scheme comes after ten years of AAP's rule in Delhi, calling it a political strategy. “Why announce this scheme now, after a decade in power? Why wasn’t it implemented on day one?” Poonawalla raised the query in a tweet, referring to it as a "gimmick" to win public support. Poonawalla also outlined the AAP's unmet pledges in Punjab, such as the proposal to guarantee every woman in the state Rs 1,000 per month. “Not a single rupee has been paid to women in Punjab. This is yet another fraud by Kejriwal to mislead the public,” Poonawalla said on X.