Thackeray made the accusations on Saturday while addressing a programme organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, his party’s student wing. He demanded greater transparency in the management of donations received by prominent religious institutions and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the controversy surrounding the Ayodhya temple.
The allegations have not been established through any judicial finding or completed financial investigation. Siddhivinayak Temple Trust chairman Sada Sarvankar rejected Thackeray’s interpretation of the figures and said the MNS leader had misunderstood correspondence concerning suspected theft from donation boxes.
Sarvankar said members of the temple administration had written to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde about irregularities detected during the counting and handling of offerings. He maintained that the letter did not suggest that Rs 18 crore was being stolen every year.
The trust chairman said action had been taken after suspected thefts were identified. Several people had been arrested and changes were made to the donation-counting process, he added. Temple income rose after tighter controls were introduced, which the trust views as evidence that earlier leakages had been contained.
Thackeray, however, said devotees visited temples during periods of personal distress and placed their faith in religious institutions, making any diversion of their offerings especially serious. He argued that temple administrations must disclose how donations are collected, counted and spent.
His claim concerning Ayodhya comes amid a wider investigation into the alleged theft of offerings from the Ram Temple. Police have registered a criminal case against several people accused of removing cash during the handling and counting of donations.
Investigators have examined dozens of suspected theft incidents that allegedly occurred over several weeks. Security weaknesses, including inadequate frisking and gaps in CCTV monitoring, are among the issues under scrutiny. Cash has been recovered from some of the accused, while the full scale of the suspected losses remains under investigation.
The Supreme Court has sought a status report on the inquiry and supported the inclusion of a forensic accounting specialist in the investigation team. The involvement of an auditor is intended to help trace financial transactions and distinguish proven theft from broader political allegations concerning the temple’s finances.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the temple, has also undergone administrative changes following the controversy. Senior office-bearers stepped down, and measures were introduced to strengthen supervision of financial transactions and donation handling.
A new secretary has been appointed with responsibility for overseeing transactions as a joint signatory. The changes are intended to tighten internal controls at an institution that receives large volumes of cash, jewellery and other offerings from devotees.
The Rs 1,400 crore figure cited by Thackeray has also appeared in opposition demands for an accounting of donations collected for the temple before the formation of the present trust. The figure should not be confused with the amount identified by investigators as stolen. No official finding has established that Rs 1,400 crore was embezzled.
Opposition parties have sought a wider inquiry into the management of the temple’s funds and demanded that the Prime Minister respond. They have argued that the religious and political importance attached to the temple requires unusually high standards of accountability.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have accused opposition leaders of using a criminal investigation involving individual suspects to make sweeping claims against the temple administration. They have said the arrests and restructuring demonstrate that authorities are acting against wrongdoing.
The dispute has also entered Maharashtra politics. Shinde earlier questioned why alleged irregularities at Siddhivinayak Temple were not investigated more aggressively under previous administrations, while opposition leaders have focused attention on the Ayodhya case.
(IPA Service)
