Azamgarh/Lucknow, Jun 2 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Tuesday congratulated the Anti-Terrorist Squad for arresting an alleged operative linked to a Pakistan-backed terror network and claimed that the development raised questions about the Samajwadi Party's stronghold in Azamgarh.

"The ATS has acted in the interest of the nation and society. I congratulate it for the action," Rajbhar told reporters while reacting to the arrest of Mohammad Sheikh in Azamgarh district.

The ATS on Monday said it had arrested Sheikh, a resident of Khudadadpur village under the Nizamabad police station area, for allegedly working for a terror network linked to Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

According to the ATS, Sheikh was allegedly being radicalised by Pakistan-based handlers through social media and messaging platforms and was in contact with operatives linked to the network.

The agency also alleged that he was attempting to recruit local youths and had been assigned a "trial mission" involving threats to a woman political leader from another state.

Rajbhar, the chief of the NDA ally SBSP, sought to draw a political connection between the arrest and the opposition Samajwadi Party.

"The unfortunate part is that terrorists are being caught from an area considered a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party. This means SP leaders protect terrorists in Azamgarh," he alleged.

The minister, however, did not provide any evidence to back the claim.

Azamgarh is regarded as a key bastion of the Samajwadi Party in eastern Uttar Pradesh.

SP leader and Akhilesh Yadav's cousin, Dharmendra Yadav, currently represents the constituency in the Lok Sabha, while the party won all 10 Assembly segments in the district in the 2022 Assembly elections.

The ATS has registered a case against Sheikh under the relevant provisions of BNS, the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Police said a 9 mm pistol, four live cartridges and a mobile phone were recovered from his possession. The ATS said it will seek his custody for further interrogation to identify other persons allegedly linked to the network.

Senior officials in Lucknow said a detailed probe into the case is underway as a "sensitive approach" is needed to handle such "transnational matters". PTI COR/KIS ARI

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)