MNS chief alleges Rs 18 crore stolen from Siddhivinayak

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has alleged widespread corruption in temple donations, claiming that 18 crore rupees are siphoned off annually from Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple and that 1,400 crore rupees have been stolen from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Thackeray made the allegations on Saturday, August 1, 2026, during a program organized by his party's student wing, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the issue.

Thackeray cited a purported letter from eight trustees of the Siddhivinayak Temple to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to support his claims. He stated that the temple's weekly donation collection was less than 50 lakh rupees before an alleged theft was uncovered, but rose to 1.5 crore rupees afterward. From this increase, he extrapolated that approximately 18 crore rupees were being stolen every year. "Frustrated youths visit temples, but even temples are not safe from corruption," Thackeray said.

In response, Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman Sada Sarvankar confirmed that nine temple employees had been arrested in connection with the alleged theft. Sarvankar, who is also a leader of the Shiv Sena, stated that the...