Raj Thackeray alleges donation theft at Siddhivinayak Temple

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday alleged that donations worth Rs 18 crore were being siphoned off annually at Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple and claimed that Rs 1,400 crore had been stolen at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Every year, Rs 18 crore was being stolen," Thackeray said. Speaking at a programme organised by the MNS's student wing on Saturday, Raj Thackeray alleged that employees at Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple had siphoned off donations from the temple's collection boxes.

Citing a letter purportedly written by eight temple trustees to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, he said the alleged theft came to light due to the trustees' vigilance. Thackeray claimed that the temple's weekly donation collection was below Rs 50 lakh before the alleged theft was uncovered, but increased to around Rs 1.5 crore after those involved were caught. Sada Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust and a leader of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said that nine temple employees had been arrested in connection with the alleged theft. "We have filed cases wherever required," Sarvankar was quoted as saying by PTI. Sarvankar attributed the rise in donations to measures taken by the temple trust, saying its annual income had increased from Rs 114 crore two years ago to Rs 182 crore.