'Arvind Kejriwal govt paid Rs 101 crore to maulvis, muazzins': BJP's BIG CHARGE at AAP

New Delhi, Nov 21 (PTI) As campaigning for the Delhi municipal polls intensifies, 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 temple and gurudwara doors on any Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader or candidate if the government doesn't fulfil the demand in 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 in this connection.

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, any AAP 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.

The AAP is yet to respond.

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.

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