Why no action was taken against 'loot' at Siddhivinayak temple, asks Shinde

Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) Seeking to blunt the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's attacks over the theft of donations at the Ram Temple, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday asked why the then government did not order a probe into the "loot" at the famous Siddhivinayak temple in the city. Speaking in the legislative council on the last day of the monsoon session, Shinde stressed that the alleged embezzlement at the Ram temple in Ayodhya has pained devotees, and strict action will be taken against those found guilty in the case. Replying to the opposition-sponsored 'Last Week Motion', he hit out at the Sena (UBT) without naming the party or its chief Uddhav Thackeray, and alleged that their colleagues had committed the "sin of looting" the Siddhivinayak temple, one of the richest in the country. "No one can support what happened at Ram Mandir. Ram Bhakts have been pained. Strong action is being taken. (Prime Minister) Modi ji and (Uttar Pradesh chief minister) Yogi ji will not spare anyone. "Those who are criticising....their colleagues committed the sin of looting the donation box of the Siddhivinayak temple. Why a probe was not ordered by the (then) government?" Shinde asked. Thackeray, notably, had appointed members on the temple trust when he was chief minister from 2019 to 2022. Shinde was part of his government until he rebelled and toppled the government in June 2022. Shinde also reminded that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had raised the issue of alleged irregularities at the Siddhivinayak temple then. Reacting after Shinde's statement in the council, Marathi actor Adesh Bandekar, who had served as chairman of the Shree Siddhivinayak Temple Trust, said if he was found guilty of any irregularity, he should be hanged in front of the shrine. "It's been three years since my tenure ended. Around four years ago, similar issue came up during the session of the state legislature. All executive officers are deputed by Mantralaya (state secretariat). If there was any irregularity, then they should have disclosed it," said Bandekar, who was associated with the united Shiv Sena in the past. The actor said another person has been heading the trust for the last three years, and expressed apprehension that relevant documents could be tampered with. Bandekar was re-appointed as trust chairman for a second term in July 2020 by the state government headed by Thackeray. Last Sunday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) held 'Ram Raksha' protest in the state against the embezzlement of donations received at the Ram Temple. Shinde, in his speech, mocked Thackeray for reading the Maruti Stotra from a written text and not knowing it by heart. His son, MP Shrikant Shinde recites the Hanuman Chalisa from memory, the deputy Chief Minister added. Without naming Thackeray, Shinde said, "They have come up with a new story that Hanuman burnt down Lanka with a flaming torch (Shiv Sena-UBT's poll symbol). What if their party's symbol had been a lighter. Should I ask (film-TV director-producer) Ramanand Sagar to narrate the Ramayan." "Who jailed an MP and an MLA for reciting the Hanuman Chalisa," Shinde asked, a reference to the arrest of then-Lok Sabha MP Navneet Rana and MLA Ravi Rana. Navneet Rana and her husband Ravi Rana were arrested by the Mumbai police in April 2022 after the couple declared they would publicly recite the Hanuman Chalisa outside then-CM Thackeray's private residence, 'Matoshri'. "Hindutva is not like a T-shirt which can be changed anytime one wishes. Is your Hindutva about looting Siddhivinayak? Is sitting in the lap of those who call Savarkar 'maafi-veer' Hindutva? Is abandoning ideals of (Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb (Thackeray) Hindutva?" Shinde asked, hitting out at Uddhav Thackeray without naming him. "We are going ahead with Balasaheb Thackeray's teachings and there will be no compromise on this," insisted the Shiv Sena leader, who has repeatedly claimed he is taking forward the legacy of the party founder. Shinde also slammed those criticising the 'Missing Link' project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and said defamation of infrastructure projects was akin to defaming Maharashtra. Is it not "Maharashtra droha" (treachery with Maharashtra), he asked. Even the enemies of Maharashtra never resorted to such defamation, Shinde said. He refuted the charge that the cost of the Missing Link project grew exponentially. The initial cost was Rs 6,695 crore and it increased to Rs 7,189 crore, a mere 7.26 per cent, he said. Traffic on the Missing Link was suspended earlier this week due to a landslide, prompting the Opposition to allege substandard construction and financial irregularities. The Missing Link has the world's broadest tunnel and tallest viaduct. The landslide caused no harm to the Missing Link, Shinde said. "Whoever has done the work should be saluted. It is an engineering marvel. Those making allegations should look at themselves in the mirror," the Deputy CM said, adding that fuel worth Rs 1 crore is saved daily due to the Missing Link which bypasses the Expressway's ghat section. PTI PR RSY KRK