Congress slams Kejriwal's allowance scheme for priests as attempt to 'varnish tainted image'

    New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) The Congress on Monday attacked AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal over his "Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana", claiming that he was making a desperate attempt to "varnish his tainted image".
    Kejriwal on Monday said AAP would launch a "Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana" to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 to temple priests and gurdwara granthis, if re-elected.
    The Congress' Delhi chief Devender Yadav said, "Kejriwal is making desperate attempts to varnish his tainted image and regain lost ground by announcing various freebies to influence voters with an eye on the upcoming assembly elections... his latest gimmick of promising a monthly salary of Rs 18,000 for priests of temples and granthis of gurdwaras if AAP comes back to power is yet another of his hollow promise."
    For the past few days, Kejriwal has been making a litany of promises to women, the elderly, autorickshaw drivers, priests and granthis, the Congress leader said.
    However, Delhi government departments have issued public notices to clarify that the honorarium scheme for women and the free treatment promise for the elderly were not government schemes and people should not share any personal details with AAP leaders or agents, he noted.
    "People will not believe Kejriwal's false promises as all his past promises were made during election time, to be forgotten about after the elections," Yadav alleged.
    Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly are due in February.
    AAP is looking to secure a third consecutive term in the House. The Congress last held power in the national capital in 2013.
    The two parties are constituents of the INDIA bloc but are contesting the Delhi elections independently.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)