{
  "id": 18298780,
  "title": "Nashik: Harshvardhan Sapkal Alleges 150 Voters Deleted From Kurangwadi Rolls During SIR",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/nashik-harshvardhan-sapkal-alleges-150-voters-deleted-from-kurangwadi",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-05T11:01:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/nashik-harshvardhan-sapkal-alleges-150-voters-deleted-from-kurangwadi-rolls-during-sir"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nashik, Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal has accused the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls of being a tool to deny citizens their right to vote. Speaking at a community gathering in Kurangwadi village, part of Igatpuri taluka, Sapkal stated that approximately 150 out of the village's 750 registered voters had been erased from the rolls via the SIR process. He emphasized that in a village where the entire population is originally from there, such a drastic reduction in voters is alarming - it amounts to disenfranchising one-fifth of the community. During the event, a gram sabha was convened where village assembly members unanimously decided to join the 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod' campaign. The villagers pledged their support for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, demonstrating their solidarity with the Congress party's stance. Sapkal accused the administration of using the SIR initiative to strip tribal communities of their voting rights, claiming it's part of a broader scheme to strip citizens of their rights and freedoms. He alleged a conspiracy to hand over the nation's wealth and land to industrialists, and to acquire land from ordinary citizens and farmers for development projects that would likely only yield security guard jobs. He compared this to the British colonial era, where the nation's wealth was exploited, and today's 'Ranga-Billa' duo in Delhi are implementing a new form of economic and political slavery. Sapkal criticized the BJP and Sangh for labelling Adivasis (indigenous people) as 'Vanvasis' (forest dwellers) and accused them of erasing the original identity of Adivasis and their culture. He urged all to unite to protect their rights, the constitution, and the right to vote.",
  "summary": "Nashik: Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was being used to deprive citizens of their voting rights. Addressing a chaupal (community meeting) organised by the Congress in the remote tribal village of Kurangwadi in Igatpuri taluka, Sapkal raised the slogan 'Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod'. Sapkal claimed that around 150…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}