Barkati's daughter accuses MP Rashid of not supporting family

Kupwara, Sep 12: Jailed cleric Sarjan Ahmad Wagay's daughter on Thursday accused Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid of not supporting her family "in the time of need" and tore her father's nomination papers from the Langate assembly seat, represented twice by the Awami Ittehad Party chief in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rashid, alias Engineer Rashid, the Lok Sabha MP from Baramulla constituency in north Kashmir, was released from Tihar Jail on Wednesday on an interim bail. He had been in jail since 2019 after he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2017 terror funding case.

Wagay, popularly known as Sarjan Barkati, has filed nomination from Ganderbal and Beerwah assembly segments that are going to the polls in the second phase of the three-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. His daughter, Sugra, said she wanted to file her father's nomination papers from the Langate assembly seat --“ represented twice by Rashid in the erstwhile assembly, and had sought support from the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) supremo.

She accused the AIP of not supporting her family in the time of need and tore her father's nomination papers, expressing frustration over "lack of response from Rashid". "When Rashid was in jail, people of Kashmir stood by him. Now, our family is suffering and we feel abandoned," Sugra told reporters.

Barkati was the face of 2016 violent agitations in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

"Our family is the victim now but you did not do justice with us. We deserve the same support we offered when it was needed," she said, adding she tore the nomination form "because my hopes (of Rashid supporting Barkati) were dashed".

Meanwhile, Rashid told reporters here that Barkati's daughter should have approached his party before announcing the candidates. "She should have approached us earlier. We had announced our candidates and they cannot be changed now," he said. However, he said he would fight for the release of Barkati and other prisoners.

"No one can understand the pain of a prisoner than me. I will fight for the release of every prisoner," he added.