Patna, Jan 22 (IANS) Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptuallah Thursday criticised former Bihar chief ministers Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad for wearing Islamic skull cap only for show as she said they have hardly worked to improve Muslims' socio-economic conditions.

"All the Bihar chief ministers till date have worn Muslim skull cap but failed to respect and honour it," Heptullah said at a function organised by the BJP here. She said Muslims do not need caps but require employment and food.

Heptullah said Muslims in Bihar were poor and backward because the successive state governments ignored them for years.

She claimed that more and more Muslims were joining the BJP after realising that "those who wore their caps were the ones who cheated them".

The minister also criticised the Bihar government over clashes between two communities in Muzaffarpur district.

"Law and order and protecting the lives of people is the responsibility of the state government and the state government has failed in it," she said.