Politicial leaders wear skull caps to show off: Najma Heptullah

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptuallah on Thursday said most of the political leaders wear skull caps to "show off" but do not have respect for it.

"These political leaders did not practise honesty with the Muslims. They just wore their caps and indulged in show-off measures but they did not keep the respect of those caps. Otherwise, the Muslims in Bihar would not have been so backward," Heptullah said in an apparent dig at Rashtriya Janata Dal President Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar.

"Muslims here do not need caps but require employment and food," she said at the state Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here.

"Talking sweet things, having tea and food with the Muslims is okay. But the political leaders who indulge in such things should also keep their promises made to the minorities," she said.

In September 2011, the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had refused to put on a 'skull cap' offered by a Muslim cleric during his sadbhavana fast in Ahmedabad.

His rival Nitish Kumar, who was then the Chief Minister of Bihar, took a dig at Modi at a JD(U) rally in the capital saying to rule the country "sometimes you have to wear a cap, sometimes you have to sport a tilak."

Heptullah said that more and more Muslims were joining Prime Minister Modi and the BJP after realising that "those who wore their caps were the ones who cheated them."

She hit out at Bihar government over clash between two communities at Ajizpur village 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.

Heptullah said she wished to tell everybody that Narendra Modi has not shown any difference in his intent and action.

"Modi has expressed anguish that the Muslims did not get their due rights to food, clothes, employment even after 67 years of Independence and has called for 'all-inclusive development' of the country," she said.

Heptullah said Modi wanted the Muslims to have Quran in one hand and computer in another.

The minister said she is on an all-India tour to provide information about the development schemes initiated by the Centre for the uplift of the minority communities.

"Our focus is on education and skill development among the minority youth. If they have pen and implements in their hands, there will be no space to hold weapons. We want them to stand on their own feet," she said.