File photo of ex-chief minister of Bihar and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar.
Once partners and now bitter rivals Janata Dal (United) and the BJP scripted an ugly clash in Bihar legislative council today, with lawmakers shoving and pushing each other in the presence of the top leaders of their parties, Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi.
The quarrel happened during question hour when JD(U) member Sanjay Singh objected to BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the council, referring to Water Resources minister Vijay Chaudhary by name.
He also said that Mr Modi seemed to have ailment that made him mutter all the time. An angry Mr Modi rushed into Well of the House demanding that the JD(U) leader's comments be expunged and condemned his behaviour with a senior member.
Other BJP members followed him into the Well on the centre of the House.
Council Chairman Awdesh Narayan Singh moved to another question, but he soon had to adjourn the House, amid sloganeering by the BJP.
As soon as the chairman left the House, a scuffle broke out between the JD(U) and BJP members.
BJP state president Mangal Pandey and legislator Rajneesh Kumar and others rushed towards Sanjay Singh prompting the latter's party colleagues like Neeraj Kumar and Ranbir Nandan to rush forward too in his support.
The lawmakers had to be physically separated with the help of house marshals after senior members from both parties intervened. Mr Modi later accused former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is a member of the council and sits next to Sanjay Singh, of instigating him.
Mr Kumar, who was seen sitting quietly in the House through the fracas, said he was hurt.
Sushil Modi was Nitish Kumar's deputy before the former ended his party's 17-year-old partnership with the BJP. That dissociation seemed to cost Mr Kumar dearly in the general elections earlier this year - his JD(U) won just two of Bihar's 40 seats. The BJP won 22 seats.
Mr Kumar quit as Chief Minister over the party's disastrous showing.
RJD chief, Lalu Yadav Commenting on the incident said "I know Sushil Modi very well and he will go to any extent to grab the limelight and publicity".