Meer Irfan
Religious preacher Sarjan Barkati who had been arrested two days after delivering a ‘Pro-Palestine’ speech on Eid-Ul-Fitr has been released from detention after twenty-one days.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat over the phone, Barkati confirmed that he has been released and has reached home.
The Jammu Kashmir Police had said that the South Kashmir cleric was arrested for violating Covid-19 SOPs. “Despite knowing that, he led prayers with around 400 people. This arrest is not related to Palestine slogans or prayers but only Covid-19 SOP violations,” Police had said.
In 2016, Sarjan Barkati who became a face of protests in the aftermath of the killing of Burhan Wani took the civilian uprising into nooks and corners of South Kashmir through his electric manner of sloganeering.
Barkati pulled huge crowds to numerous pro-freedom rallies across southern Kashmir, after which he was detained for more than four years.