The arrest of 11 alleged ISI operatives by the Madhya Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad on Thursday has come to bite the ruling BJP after allegations surfaced that one of the arrested operatives was a relative of a sitting BJP corporator.

The Congress has now alleged that Dhruv Saxena - another arrested operative - was the district coordinator of the party's IT cell in Madhya Pradesh.

Saxena was also seen attending an event that was addressed by state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Pictures of Saxena attending the event in saffron robes have gone viral on social media.

CONGRESS ORGANISES PROTEST

Congress on Friday held a protest where demonstrators burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and raised anti-ISI slogans.

"They talk about character and culture but now ISI agents have been arrested from across the state and they are BJP leaders. They have connections with top BJP leader," PC Sharma of the Bhopal district Congress said.

Meanwhile, state Congress president Arun Yadav demanded a CBI inquiry into the racket.

Also read: ISI agents arrested by MP police associated with ruling BJP, alleges Congress

BJP DENIES ALLEGATIONS - OFFICIALLY

While the officially the BJP has denied having any links with the arrested operatives, senior party leaders, off the record, have expressed anguish over the ISI's possible infiltration into its ranks.

"Denying association with those arrested in public is one thing but the real problem can be gauged from the fact that one of them was holding a post in the party's IT cell and he had access to so much data and information," a visibly disturbed senior party leader said, on the condition of anonymity

For the record, state BJP president Nand Kumar Singh Chouhan denied any association with the arrested ISI operatives. "Naxals, anti nationals and terrorists don't have any religion and caste. As far as the pictures are concerned, any one can take pictures with anyone," he said.

ACCUSED ARRESTED FROM MULTIPLE CITIES

The accused were arrested from Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Satna by the ATS after they were found to be using SIM box enabled mini telephone exchanges for making calls. One of the accused, Balram, who was arrested from Satna is said to have been managing accounts through which money was received and transferred to two spies, Satvinder and Dadu who arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police in November. The arrested spies in Jammu and Kashmir had passed on information to Pakistani agencies about movement of troops, location of army camps and bridges, ATS officials claimed.

Also read: Madhya Pradesh ATS busts ISI-backed espionage racket, 11 arrested