THE SNP has been urged to remove Alex Salmond’s business partner from the party's ruling executive amid a row over her links to the Kremlin-backed television channel RT.

An activist has questioned whether Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, the producer and co-presenter of Mr Salmond’s controversial new TV show, can credibly remain the SNP’s Women’s & Equalities Convenor given the history of gay rights abuses in Russia.

The move comes as Ofcom confirmed it had received a complaint about Mr Salmond’s show in which he interviewed deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and debuted on Thursday.

It is understood the complaint centres on the use of social media posts during the programme.

An OFCOM spokeswoman said: “We will assess this complaint before deciding whether or not to investigate.”

Former MP Ms Ahmed-Sheikh is a partner in Slainte Media, Mr Salmond’s new production company behind his RT programme, and also sits on the SNP’s National Executive Committee.

However a leading disability rights campaigner has now called on the SNP National Secretary Angus MacLeod to determine whether Ms Ahmed-Sheikh's work with RT effectively disqualifies her from her post.

Jamie Szymkowiak, who spearheads the One in Five Campaign – which aims to secure a route into politics for disabled people – and has previously harboured hopes of representing the SNP in parliament, said Ms Ahmed-Sheikh risked legitimising RT, thought to be a mouthpiece for the Russian Government.

He raised his concern directly with Mr MacLeod last week – the day after Mr Salmond and Ms Ahmed-Sheikh announced details of the new show.

In a statement on Twitter, Mr Szymkowiak said: “I do not feel the role of SNP Women’s & Equalities Convener to be compatible with any form of business relationship with RT.

“This risks de-legitimising the efforts of equality campaigners within the SNP as well as the Scottish Government’s relationship with national and international stakeholders.”

He said that while the SNP government was bolstering rights for trans and non-binary people, Slainte Media had struck a deal with “a TV channel funded by a government that overtly oppresses the rights of LGBTI people”.

Mr Szymkowiak, who stood against Ms Ahmed-Sheikh for the position of Women and Equalities Convenor in 2016, also said Russia had sown division in the US elections.

He said there was growing evidence that it had “sought to increase racial tensions in communities across America by releasing provocative posts on social media”.

He also wrote: “As a democrat, I’m disappointed to learn that Slainte Media is producing a programme on a TV channel funded by a government that actively undermines democracy and potentially contributes to the escalation of racial tensions in BAME communities in America.

“Discussing related topics once or twice legitimises the Russian government’s propaganda channel and risks doing more harm than good.”

Ms Ahmed-Sheikh declined to respond to the criticism.

An SNP spokesman said: "The SNP has no connection with Slainte Media."

Since news of the RT show broke, Alex Salmond has batted away criticism and insisted he has complete editorial control.

He accused opponents of hypocrisy, pointing out that senior party figures from across the political spectrum have appeared on RT over the years.

This week Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie wrote to Nicola Sturgeon asking what steps she will take to “reassure European partners in the wake of her predecessor taking up a role for the Kremlin-backed RT”.

While also this week, Estonian ambassador Tiina Intelmann told a Holyrood committee that RT is “an arm of Kremlin propaganda”.

Mr Rennie said: “To see a former First Minister directly attached to an organisation which promotes Putin's destabilisation agenda and which has been complicit in the cover up of events from human rights breaches to the Russian invasion of Crimea will be deeply worrying to our European partners.

"As the ambassador looked on the Deputy First Minister was unable to address these concerns in the chamber yesterday. That's why I am writing to Nicola Sturgeon asking her what she will do to reassure our European partners.

"We cannot afford for any country to misconstrue Mr Salmond's actions as any sort of reflection of the Scottish Government's policies. I believe it is incumbent upon the government to immediately engage in diplomatic efforts to reassure our European partners about Mr Salmond's role, or lack thereof."

Mr Rennie previously claimed Scotland’s reputation has been damaged by Alex Salmond’s decision to host a chat show on RT.