Characteristic of his style, the Railway Minister set the tone by his humorous remarks right at the beginning of the presentation of his fifth budget. "The world today acknowledges that I have done a tremendous job bringing crores of rupees into the coffers of the Railways," he said, basking in his achievements.

As soon as the railway minister was asked to make his statement, the Members of Parliament from Karnataka were on their feet, protesting against his alleged remarks which were derogatory to the Kannada community.

Lalu was quick to deny the remarks and said he had already issued clarification in this regard. "I hold people of Karnataka in high esteem," he quipped, bringing the curtain down on the issue that had been simmering for long.

But just what does he have for you, the common man? Well read on to find out... Image: Lalu Prasad, Union Minister for Railways, holds The Railway Budget 2008-09 as he poses for media representatives at his office in New Delhi. This is Lalu's 5th Railway Budget.