New Delhi: Railway Minister Laloo Prasad was today (Dec 16, 2004) critical of the Opposition raising a fuss over his absence from Parliament yesterday morning and said he was no absconder.

"Yesterday, I was told that there was a search for me. Atalji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) said where is Laloo. He is elder to me. But I want to say Laloo is everywhere. Laloo is not an absconder," the minister said while replying to supplementaries on the train accident in Rajya Sabha.

Chairman Bhairon Singh Shekhwat then quipped, "where there is alu (potato), there is Laloo".

Prasad said he came running to Rajya Sabha yesterday evening when he was told that some Opposition members were "searching" for him.

He said despite his effort he was not allowed to make the statement on the accident yesterday.

"So much effort of (BJP members) S S Ahluwalia and Sushma Swaraj was wasted in searching for me", he said amidst laughter.

"For me the House is a home, temple, church and mosque", he said.