Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party chief Swatantra Dev Singh landed in controversy on Saturday after he was seen in a video showering flower petals on the party’s Bairia MLA Surendra Singh, who had backed the main accused in the firing incident at Durjanpur village in Ballia, PTI reported.

Incidentally, on October 20, Surendra Singh was issued a show-cause notice on the matter by Swatantra Dev Singh himself.

The video, which was shared widely on Saturday, shows Swatantra Dev Singh participating in a bhumi pujan or ground-breaking ceremony of a Krishna temple at Kathauda village in Sikanderpur area, according to PTI. The state BJP chief is seen showering flower petals on Surendra Singh, who acknowledges it with folded hands.

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP had issued a show-cause notice to Surendra Singh for making statements in support of Dhirendra Pratap Singh, a party leader from Lucknow who was arrested for allegedly shooting a man dead in the presence of the police in Ballia on October 15.

Surendra Singh defended his party colleague, saying it was as an act of “self-defence” and accused the administration of “one-sided” investigation. Surendra Singh also claimed that had the accused not opened fire, dozens of his family members would have been killed.

Swatantra Dev Singh had said that BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda was informed about the matter and that the Bairia MLA was given a weeks time to respond.