Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Sunday (August 2, 2026) alleged that donations worth ₹18 crore were being siphoned off every year at the famous Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai.
A financially lucrative temple with burgeoning devotees every year, the Siddhivinayak temple, at Prabhadevi, Mumbai reportedly earned a revenue of ₹182 crore in fiscal 2025-26. Mr. Thackeray’s allegation of ₹18 crore amounted to about 10% of the FY2026 revenue.
Even temples were not safe these days, Mr. Thackeray said at a programme he attended with the party’s student wing, and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on this issue. The MNS chief also alleged that ₹1,400 crore had been stolen at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Ram Temple donation theft: Congress demands Supreme Court-monitored probe
He said some alert trustees caught employees who stole money from the donation box at the Siddhivinayak temple, reading out a letter written by eight trustees to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
“Every year, ₹18 crore was being stolen,” Mr. Thackeray alleged.
Sada Sarvankar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust and a leader of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, said nine employees were arrested in this connection. ”We have filed cases wherever required,” he said. The rise in donations was due to the efforts taken by the Trust, Mr. Sarvankar said.
The allegations assume significance when the investigation regarding the donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram temple is underway
Published - August 02, 2026 02:23 pm IST
Maharashtra / Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
Source: The Hindu - India News
