Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has alleged that around Rs 18 crore in donations are siphoned off every year at Mumbai’s renowned Siddhivinayak Temple, adding to the ongoing political debate over alleged financial irregularities in temple administration.
At an open public meeting, Thackeray had described the recent theft of donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and alleged that it has costed the Holy land around Rs 1,400 crore. Such occurrences have made it a major concern about the management of religious institutions, he said.
Expressing concerns on the transparency and security in the operation of temples, Thackeray said, “Even temples are not free from corruption and the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi must act on this.
“Many youth who look for peace at the temple are disappointed and disgruntled. Even the temples now have financial allegations against them for being unethical,” he continued.
In his speech, Thackeray reportedly read a letter written by eight trustees of the Siddhivinayak Temple that averred they had caught some of its employees stealing money from donation boxes.
The supposed theft had hurt the revenue of the temple greatly, said Thackeray. He said that on the day of the arrests, the temple’s weekly fund collection went up from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore, which meant that large amounts of money were siphoned off earlier.
The accusations have sparked new controversy around politics, but there was no official statement from the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, or the central government, when this analysis was made.