Jailed separatist leader and cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, popularly known as Sarjan Barkati, filed his nomination papers on Thursday from Ganderbal and Beerwa assembly constituencies.
The development comes over a week after his nomination papers were rejected from the Zainapora constituency in South Kashmir’s Shopian district with officials saying it was rejected as it “lacked an oath certificate.”
Barkati, has been in Srinagar central jail for a year, accused of raising funds for militants.
If Barkarti’s nomination is accepted in Ganderbal, he will be up against former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah.
Barkati’s nomination form was submitted by his daughter.
” Now that we have submitted the nomination form it is now the test of people whether they will support those who are only after chair or would like to help Barkati’s sahib release,” his daughter Sugra said after filing the nomination of his father.
Barkati, was the central figure in the 2016 protest in Kashmir which was triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016 during an encounter. Barkati, a resident of Zainpora Shopian, had coined and popularized many slogans during the protests that lasted for over three months.
He was later booked under Public Safety Act for organising anti-government rallies. He remained in custody for over four years. Last year, Jammu and Kashmir’s Police’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) arrested Barkati in a terror funding case. His wife was also arrested in the case.
