State Arts, Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Janardan Singh Sigriwal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - an ally of the JD-U - has demanded the arrest of JD-U legislator Ram Pravesh Rai charging him with assaulting him.

Sigriwal alleged that he was manhandled, abused and dragged by Rai out of his vehicle at a busy public place in Chapra town, district headquarters of Saran district on Monday.

The angry Sigriwal has given an ultimatum to Nitish Kumar to arrest Rai for his criminal act.

Rai, legislator from Chapra, reportedly manhandled Sigriwal after a heated exchange between the two in Chapra. Rai is considered a close confidant of JD-U MP Prabhunath Singh, a bahubali (muscleman) and a known critic of Nitish Kumar.

The incident comes two days after a drunken JD-U legislator Sunil Pandey reportedly threatened to kill the staff of a five-star hotel and media persons when asked to pay his bill.

The JD-U issued a show cause notice to Pandey on Monday. Police registered a case against Pandey, a known bahubali, on Saturday.

Pandey, who represents the Piro constituency in Bhojpur district, was arrested Monday night and immediately released on bail.

Sigriwal, who is known for his trademark saffron gamcha (towel) hanging from the neck, was so upset by Rai's misbehaviour that he staged a dharna (sit in) in the police station at Chapra till late on Monday demanding his arrest. He was persuaded by the chief minister to end his dharna as it would give a bad impression of the government.

"Nitish Kumar talked to Sigriwal on his cell phone and promised that he would personally look into his demand," a senior BJP leader said. In a bid to patch up the issue, Sigriwal was invited to Patna by the chief minister on Tuesday in his chamber.

Sigriwal, BJP legislator from Jalalpur in Saran district, also told Nitish Kumar that he feared the Chapra superintendent of police, SP Singh, had hatched a conspiracy to murder him. Sigriwal has demanded security and the removal of Singh.

Sources in the BJP here said that Nitish Kumar promised that action would be taken against Rai.

According to sources in the JD-U, the incident was the outcome of rivalry between Sigriwal and Rai to put their own man for the post of Chapra district board chairman. Early this year, both the leaders had opposed each other and indulged in fisticuffs.