Patna, May 7 - Calling his bete noire Lalu Prasad a 'frustrated man' in response to Prasad's comments about his shaking hands with his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has hinted it was, however, an unavoidable situation.

"It was a chief ministers' meeting on the proposed NCTC. If anybody shakes hand how can one avoid such a situation," Kumar said last night when on arrival from New Delhi reporters sought his response about Prasad's comment on the issue.

"Lalu Prasad is frustrated and such comments are (borne) out of sheer mental bankruptcy", Kumar said with a smile. Prasad, the RJD chief, had yesterday questioned the 'secular credentials' of Kumar in the wake of the latter's exchange of pleasantries with his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi at the NCTC conference.

"Kumar's secular credentials have come under scrutiny once again after he shook hands with Modi and exchanged pleasantries with him in full media glare at yesterday's conference of the Chief Ministers on the NCTC in New Delhi", Prasad had said. PTI