'Why were you silent on Siddhivinayak Temple loot?': Eknath Shinde slams Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) The Maharashtra Assembly witnessed fiery exchanges as Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a blistering attack on Shiv Sena-UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray. 

Deputy Chief Minister Shinde on Friday evening accused the Opposition leader of practicing selective Hindutva, questioning why Uddhav Thackeray remained silent over alleged donation irregularities at Mumbai's iconic Siddhivinayak Temple during his tenure as the former Chief Minister.

The political showdown erupted amid an ongoing national controversy regarding severe discrepancies and the theft of donation money and valuables at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Addressing the House, Deputy CM Shinde strongly condemned the security and financial lapses reported at the Ayodhya temple, saying that the incidents have "deeply pained and hurt the sentiments of millions of Ram devotees across the nation".

While confirming that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already made arrests and is actively probing the Ayodhya case, Eknath Shinde guaranteed strict accountability.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will not spare anyone involved and will ensure that those responsible are sent to prison," he asserted.

However, Deputy CM Shinde quickly pivoted the focus back to Maharashtra, holding up documents in the House to target the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) administration led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray.

He alleged that significant mismanagement and fund leakages occurred right under Thackeray's watch at the Siddhivinayak Temple.

"When your political associates were caught looting the donation boxes of the Siddhivinayak Temple, why did you not order a probe back then?" Deputy CM Shinde demanded.

"I have documented proof showing the mismanagement that occurred under your (Uddhav Thackeray's) watch."

Escalating his ideological offensive, Deputy CM Shinde accused Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT of watering down the core principles of Balasaheb Thackeray to appease its current political allies.

He listed a series of grievances -- ranging from the 2020 Palghar Sadhu lynching case to the Opposition's alliance with parties that criticise Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.

"Is looting temple funds your version of Hindutva?" Deputy CM Shinde asked.

"Sitting with those who insult Veer Savarkar, diluting Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals, remaining silent when Sadhus were killed, and allowing Pakistan flags to be waved during elections for vote-bank politics -- do you call this Hindutva?"

The heated exchange comes at a time when the ruling MahaYuti alliance and the Opposition MVA are locked in aggressive battles over governance, law and order, and ideological superiority.

The baseline of the Opposition's critique had been focused on the management of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya, where recent financial irregularities led to the formation of a high-level SIT probe.

By unearthing older allegations surrounding Mumbai's premier Ganpati temple, Deputy CM Shinde shifted the battleground, forcing a counter-narrative on temple fund integrity directly onto Uddhav Thackeray's doorstep.

--IANS

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