Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Thursday did not seem to be at his best at a press conference called to highlight his ministry's achievements in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's first-year performance.

Lalu Prasad left it to Railway Board chairman R.P. Singh and the Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to praise the ministry's performance and projected growth.

He was reportedly miffed over the abysmal ratings that a section of the media had given his ministry's achievement in the first year.

He tried his best not to display his disappointment, but the veil eventually slipped, revealing the Lalu Prasad that everyone knows.

"I don't care where you place me. Give me zero out of 10 or put me anywhere on the scale. My work will speak for itself," he claimed.

"Here, take this paper...(handing a copy of the ministry's achievements to a reporter) and go back to your office. Ask them to give me 1 out of 10," he said.

To a query on whether the ministry was thinking of stopping the sale of aerated drinks at railway stations, Lalu Prasad said: "Colas and the like are the cause of diabetes, cancer, blood pressure, gas and a whole host of diseases."

On whether it was right to take a decision without a debate, pat came his reply: "Who better than me to talk about democracy?"

"During the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, trains were crashing everywhere and people were scared to travel. Now, you see a large number of people travelling and willing to spend money on tickets."

Laloo's first innovative step after taking over the ministry last year was to introduce "khullars" (earthen cups) in trains, replacing the plastic cups used for serving beverages.

He said his ministry had placed orders for Rs.150 million worth khadi cloth that would soon replace the linen for train curtains and upholstery. The move, he said, would also generate more employment.