Delhi: Thousands of Hindu Priests Protest Outside CM Kejriwal's Residence, Demand Salaries

On 7 February, thousands of Hindu priests led a demonstration near the residence of Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal.

They were demanding monthly salaries, on the lines of monthly honorarium provided to Imams and helpers of mosques, by the Delhi government.

The protesters carried flags and sang Bhajans.

The protesters claimed that the Delhi government was providing monthly salaries to Imams and Maulavis of mosques, but not to priests of Hindu, Sikh, and Christian religious places.

In January 2019, Kejriwal announced a salary hike for Imams and helpers , under the Delhi Waqf Board, from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 per month and Rs 9,000 to Rs 16,000 per month respectively.

This decision applied to 185 mosques in the capital. Additionally, he also announced a salary increase for Imams and helpers in mosques outside the jurisdiction of the Delhi Waqf Board, with imams receiving Rs 14,000 per month and helpers Rs 12,000 per month.

This was the first time that the government would be funding the salary expenses of these mosques.

In 1993, the All India Imam Organisation filed a petition with the Supreme Court (SC), which then directed the Waqf board to provide compensation to imams at mosques under its management.

In November 2022, the Central Information Commission (CIC), while hearing an RTI application, had stated that the SC order violated the Constitutional provisions that prohibited the use of taxpayer funds, to favour a particular religion.

Delhi BJP leaders, such as state president, Virendra Sachdeva and MP Ramesh Bidhuri, attended the protest. Several Hindu saints including Mahamandaleshwar Mahant Naval Kishore, Bhola Giri, Dhirendra Puri, Satish Das, Om Prakash, Ajab Das, Jagdish Das, Mahant Mangaldas also participated.

The protesters and political leaders expressed their disappointment with the Delhi Chief Minister, accusing him of ignoring the plight of the priest community and indulging in minority appeasement.

(with inputs from PTI)