On Monday, social media was set ablaze after Sonu Nigam tweeted about forced ‘religious gundagardi’ in the Country and his waking up with ‘Azaan’-Muslim call for prayer. After this, various media houses published about religious intolerance and how the singer has misused his ‘Freedom of Speech.’
After this, a Kolkata based cleric issued a fatwa against Sonu Nigam, that anyone who shaves Sonu Nigam’s head and put old sandals garland on him will be awarded Rs. 10 lakh. On Wednesday morning, Sonu Nigam reacted to this fatwa by Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quadri, the vice-president of West Bengal United Minority Council. He tweeted that “so this is not religious gundagardi” and said that he will get his head shaved.
The gap between reel & real has rarely been so blurred. Life imitating Big Boss. Sonu Nigam shaves his head after cleric’s threat. pic.twitter.com/CWyLg4hdtI
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) 19 April 2017
Nigam in a press conference at 2:00 P.M., said that he raised a social topic and not religious. He said he did not mean to offend anyone and apologized that if ‘someone thought otherwise.’ Speaking to reporters Nigam said, “I am a secular person. It was not about azaan, it was about the loud sound. Playing loud sound on a speaker is gundagardi for me.” He also added, “What is happening to the Country? Anyone can lynch anyone or anyone can issue a fatwa. I’m not talking about any single religion.”
Sonu Nigam said in the past he wrote about temples and gurudwaras but no one noticed. Nigam tweeted, “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.”
After being slammed by media Nigam clarified it was not only for Islam but in general aimed at loud speakers.
