Sonu Nigam Aazan tweet triggers anger

Singer Sonu Nigam, in a series of tweets on Monday, described as hooliganism the use of loudspeakers to broadcast sermons and calls to prayers by mosques, temples and gurudwaras. “Gundagardi hai bus,” he posted on Twitter.

The 43-year-old singer said he didn't believe that shrines should wake people up with the use of loudspeakers and demanded an end to “forced religiousness”.

“God bless everyone. I'm not a Muslim and I have to be woken up by the azaan in the morning. When will this forced religiousness end in India,” Nigam tweeted.

In another tweet the singer wrote, “And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam (sic). Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?”

Nigam reiterated that he didn't believe “in any temple or gurudwara using electricity to wake up people who don't follow the religion. Why then..? Honest? True?”

The singer tagged Maharastra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “Dear Fadnavis, please note and ask force police to act against illegal blaring of azaan and other such activities,” he pleaded.

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri supported Nigam, tweeting, “I am willing to sponsor a campaign against illegal blaring of azaan and other prayers on loudspeakers. Suggest a creative hashtag.”

‘Aligarh’ writer Apurva Asrani posted on Twitter, “Don't want to hear the azaan at dawn, nor do I want to hear a Chikni Chameli tuned Ganesh Aarti at dusk. Ban ALL loudspeakering of religion (sic).”

Not everyone felt the same way. Standup comedian Atul Khatri asked the Bollywood singer to find a new place if he was facing so much trouble. “Hey Sonu Nigam, shift to Ayodhya. I know a place there where there is no mosque,” he tweeted.

Maharashtra Congress leader Naseem Khan said Nigam's comments were intended at communal polarisation and for publicity.