Maharashtra: Shinde’s Siddhivinayak ‘Loot’ Claim Irks Sena (UBT)
“If Mr. Shinde has the courage, he should ask questions on theft of donations in the Ram Temple. He had claimed he was leaving the undivided Shiv Sena over the issue of Hindutva": Mr. Thackeray
MUMBAI: A political storm has erupted in Maharashtra after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde alleged in the Legislative Council that the donation box of Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple had been “looted” during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. His remarks triggered sharp reactions from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), whose leaders questioned why Mr. Shinde was silent over the alleged misappropriation of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Speaking in the Legislative Council on Friday, Mr. Shinde had said those now raising the Ram Temple issue did not act when the Siddhivinayak Temple’s donation box was allegedly looted. Waving what he described as documentary evidence, the deputy Chief minister asked why no inquiry had been ordered at the time.
His remarks were apparently aimed at former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose party is organising the ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ across Maharashtra over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Mr. Shinde said his statements were based on allegations previously made by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Yashwant Killedar.
Responding on Saturday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said Mr. Shinde should focus on the Urban Development Department under his charge instead of making such allegations. He challenged the deputy Chief minister to question the BJP’s central leadership over the alleged misappropriation of donations meant for the Ram Temple.
“If Mr. Shinde has the courage, he should ask questions on theft of donations in the Ram Temple. He had claimed he was leaving the undivided Shiv Sena over the issue of Hindutva," Mr. Thackeray said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut also countered Mr. Shinde’s allegations, saying that during the tenure of former Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust chairman Aadesh Bandekar, donations had been used for social welfare activities.
Mr. Raut claimed that Mr. Bandekar had sanctioned financial assistance from the trust to a party worker for purchasing a dialysis machine for a dialysis centre. However, after the change in government, the trust’s current chairman, Sadanand Sarvankar, allegedly cancelled the sanctioned funds.
According to Mr. Raut, Mr. Sarvankar told the party worker that the funds would be released only if he joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Rejecting the allegations, Mr. Bandekar said he had discharged his responsibilities with complete honesty and had submitted all relevant documents to the State Law and Judiciary Department during his tenure.
“If the allegations against me are proved, I am ready to be hanged in front of the temple,” he said.
Mr. Bandekar added that his tenure as trust chairman had ended nearly three-and-a-half years ago and that the trust is now headed by Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Sadanand Sarvankar. Mr. Bandekar alleged that the documents may have been tampered with to implicate him.
Mr. Killedar, who is also an MNS leader and former BMC corporator, said he had first demanded an inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust around three-and-a-half years ago. He claimed that the then Deputy Chief Minister, now Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had assured the legislature that the inquiry would be completed within a month, but it has yet to be concluded.
While alleging that Mr. Shinde had revived the issue for political purposes, Mr. Killedar said he would nevertheless welcome a government inquiry into the matter.