Patna: The state's ruling alliance partner RJD seems to have gone on back foot as it removed a party spokesman on Monday after CM Nitish Kumar 's JD (U) demanded the scalp of Nitish-baiters Bhai Virendra and Raghuvansh Prasad Singh.While Virendra is an RJD MLA, former Union minister Raghuvansh is party's vice-president. Both have been quite vocal against Nitish with the MLA recently criticising the JD (U) decision to support NDA's presidential pick Ram Nath Kovind, saying "aisa koi sagaa nahi, jise Nitish ne thagaa nahi (Nitish has cheated on all his friends)".While Ashok Kumar Sinha was removed from the post of RJD spokesman, Bhai Virendra sang a different tune after coming out of RJD president Lalu Prasad's 10, Circular Road residence where he had been summoned."CM Nitish is our respected leader. The alliance — of RJD, JD (U) and Congress — is unbreakable," the MLA told the media.Raguvansh, who otherwise minces no words in panning Nitish, did not issue any statement on Monday, a day after he accused the JD (U) president of shattering the opposition's "dream" of realising an "RSS-mukt Bharat".Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav announced only Lalu would now on comment on the alliance. "There is no rift. Certain people share their personal opinion with the media and attribute the same to the party. Such people will have to face the music now," he said.Ironically, sources said, it was Tejashwi's bid to ridicule a statement of Nitish that got the JD (U) leadership's goat. Hours after Nitish had on Friday questioned the opposition's decision to field Meira Kumar against Kovind when her defeat was imminent, Tejashwi had retorted, "Maidan mein koode nahi, aur maan lein ki haar gaye ya jeet gaye?"The RJD mend its ways after Nitish aides issued veiled warning and hinted at split in the alliance. JD (U)'s state president Bashishtha Narain Singh said on Sunday his party had taken the deputy CM's statement seriously.In an oblique reference to Raghuvansh's criticism of JD (U) for jeopardising the opposition's fight against the RSS, JD (U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh reportedly told a section of TV channels that the Bhagalpur riots accused had gone scot-free during the RJD regime and it was the JD (U) government that reopened the closed cases and ensured justice to the riots victims.By late evening, however, the TV channels withdrew the tickers and Sanjay refused to say more than what he had to say. "Loud-mouthed Virendra and Raghuvansh must be shown the door by the RJD," he said, adding "only clarifications" on the statements against the CM would not work this time.JD (U) MLC Neeraj Kumar joined the chorus. "We will not tolerate offensive statements against our national president. We want action against such RJD functionaries," he said.

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