Jailed Kashmiri cleric Sarjan Barkati, face of 2016 protests over Burhan Wani killing, files J-K poll nomination

Kashmiri separatist leader and cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay has filed nomination papers from the Zainpora Assembly constituency in Shopian district for the upcoming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sarjan, popularly known as Sarjan Barkati, was the most prominent face during the protest rallies in South Kashmir districts of Shopian and Kulgam after the killing of Burhan Wani in 2016.

Killed in an encounter on July 8, 2016, Wani was the top district commander of Hizbul Mujahideen and became a poster boy of the militancy in Kashmir. His killing led to widespread protests in the valley, causing unrest in 2016, leading to the death of 90 people.

Barkati, was arrested on October, 2016 and was released in October 2020. He was arrested again in August 2023, in connection with a terror-funding case. Later, his wife was arrested too.

Barkati's daughter, Sugra Barkati filed nomination papers on behalf of her father on Monday. She will campaign for her father, unless the nomination is rejected. Zainapora votes in first phase of polling on September 18. 

‘Propagation of radicalism in Kashmir Valley’

The State Investigation Agency (SIA) that arrested Barkati in August 2023, said the case was about his involvement in orchestrating an extensive fund-raising campaign through crowd-funding, resulting in the generation of funds amounting to crores. "These funds were subsequently misused, involving money laundering and acquisition of undisclosed assets for propagation of radicalism within the Kashmir Valley,” the agency said, according to a report in Indian Express.

Before becoming a central figure in the 2016 protests, Barkati was affiliated with the Umamt-e-Islami, a socio-religious organisation.

279 candidates file nomination papers for Phase 1 voting

Jammu and Kashmir is voting for its 90-member assembly in three phases. While the first phase of voting in Jammu and Kashmir is scheduled on September 18, the other two round will be held on September 25 and October 1. The votes will be counted on October 4.

As many as 279 candidates have filed their nomination papers across 24 assembly segments of seven districts, which are going to polls in the first phase of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18. Of the 24 seats voting in the first phase, 16 are in the Valley and 8 in the Jammu region.

Barkati's political jump comes months after Engineer Rashid, jailed under UAPA, defeating former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Peoples Conference president Sajad Lone from Baramulla seat.

Jamaat-e-Islami candidates in fray too

Apart from Barkati, many former members of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir have also filed nomination papers to contest the Assembly polls in the Union Territory as independent candidates.

While Jamaat cannot participate in the elections due to the ban imposed by the Union Home Ministry, it had shown interest in participating in the polls during the Lok Sabha elections if the ban was removed.

Jamaat did not participate in any elections after 1987 and was part of the separatist amalgam Hurriyat Conference, which advocated for poll boycotts from 1993 to 2003.

(With PTI inputs)