Sonu Nigam questions loud sermons

Mumbai, April 17

Singer Sonu Nigam has described as hooliganism the use of loudspeakers to broadcast sermons and calls to prayers by mosques, temples and gurudwaras.

In a series of tweets that sparked outrage, Nigam said he was woken up by Azaan on Monday morning.

"Gundagardi hai bus (it is hooliganism)," he said in a tweet.

"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 he 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 said 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?"

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) ." PTI