The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday suspended MLC Lal Babu Prasad for misbehaving with female legislator Nutan Singh, who is the wife of BJP’s Chhatapur MLA Niraj Kumar alias Bablu. Singh, who is a Lok Janshakti Party MLC, had accused Prasad of “improper behaviour” while they were walking up a flight of stairs inside the Council building on Wednesday. Her husband reportedly hit Prasad in the Council after his wife told him about the incident, The Hindu reported.

“The party has suspended Lal Babu Prasad from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect and will now issue him a show-cause notice”, said party leader and MLC Vinod Narayan Jha.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the council, Sushil Kumar Modi, said nothing had happened after he spoke to the parties concerned, Hindustan Times reported. “I have spoken to the persons, who were said to be involved in the incident, but all of them denied it,” HT quoted Modi as saying.

On Thursday, the party sidelined Prasad, who had served as vice-president on the state BJP committee, from the reconstituted executive committee, The Hindu reported. The Council’s Chairperson Awadhesh Narayan Singh on Friday has asked the house ethics committee to initiate an inquiry.

The Janta Dal (United) welcomed the saffron party’s decision to suspend Prasad, but criticised the “delayed move”. “BJP has formed anti-Romeo forces in Uttar Pradesh. It needs to have such a force for its party leaders in Bihar too,” said JD(U) leader and party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.