JD(U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said "only Hindi should be spoken" and the party tolerated it for the sake of cordiality in INDIA alliance, DMK leader T R Baalu said in Chennai on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters after holding seat sharing talks with Congress leaders in the city, Baalu, when asked on exit of Nitish Kumar from INDIA alliance said it appeared that right from the beginning he had "some issues" and there would not be any electoral "damage" due to his move.
To a question about the Bihar Chief Minister's statement that nothing worked "as per his plan in the INDIA bloc", Baalu asked: "What did he plan? He did not spell out any plan, he said only Hindi should be spoken and only that (message) remains."
Nitish Kumar on Sunday resigned as the Chief Minister of Bihar, terminating his alliance with the RJD and the Congress after a year and a half, marking a significant shift from his departure from the BJP and return to the Opposition alliance.
Nitish rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA and took the oath of office as the new Chief Minister in the evening, now serving his ninth term. Eight ministers, including two Deputy Chief Ministers from the BJP, were sworn in alongside Kumar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nitish Kumar on his reappointment, extending wishes to Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Sinha.
"The NDA government formed in Bihar will leave no stone unturned for the development of the state and to fulfill the aspirations of its people," tweeted PM Modi, expressing confidence in the new team's dedication.
In the new Cabinet, Nitish Kumar reshuffled his ministers, replacing those from the Rashtriya Janata Dal with individuals from the BJP and his own party. The cabinet now includes leaders from the BJP, JDU, and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular).
The move sparked criticism from opposition leaders, with RJD's Tejashwi Yadav predicting JD(U)'s demise by 2024 and referring to Nitish Kumar as a "tired CM." Tejashwi stated, "The game is not over in Bihar," while acknowledging BJP's role in aligning with JD(U).
(With inputs from agencies)