Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has alleged that nearly INR 18 crore in devotees' donations is being siphoned off every year from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple. Speaking at a party event, he claimed that corruption has reached even places of worship and called for greater transparency in the management of temple funds.
Thackeray said he was referring to a letter reportedly written by eight temple trustees, which stated that some employees were caught stealing money from the temple's donation boxes. According to him, the temple's weekly donation collections increased from less than INR 50 lakh to around INR 1.5 crore after the alleged theft was uncovered, suggesting that large sums had been misappropriated over the years.
He also referred to the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged irregularities in donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue of corruption in religious institutions.
Responding to the allegations, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman Sada Sarvankar confirmed that nine employees had been arrested in connection with donation-related irregularities and that legal action had been initiated where necessary. However, he maintained that the increase in donations was also due to improved administrative measures and said the temple's annual income had grown significantly over the past two years.
The allegations have sparked fresh political debate over transparency and accountability in the management of religious trusts and donations.
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