The High Court has put out a decision on the petition filed by a man against Sonu Nigam’s tweets targeting the usage of loudspeakers for Azaan, the Muslim’s morning prayers. Announcing the verdict, the justice clearly stated that while Azaan is an ‘integral part of Islamic worship, the loudspeakers aren’t.’
Earlier, Sonu’s take on the issue had erupted a controversy leaving the people on social media divided. While some claimed that Sonu’s tweets come from his lack of knowledge about Islam, a few others supported the singer. The popular playback singer though clarified that his criticism is not again the Azaan but against the noise pollution that it creates and that is why he had also named ‘Mandir and Gurudwaras’ in his other tweets that followed.
While explaining the decision in the matter, the single-judged bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court mentioned that the petitioner wants to seek ‘cheap publicity’ by filing a petition. And that the usage of word ‘gundagardi‘ in Sonu’s tweet was for ‘loudspeakers’ and other forms of amplifiers but not for the Azaan.
Sonu Nigam
(Courtesy: Twitter/ @freetimetweets)
Aas Mohammed, a resident in Haryana had filed a petition in the court claiming that Sonu’s tweets hurt the sentiments of those following Islam and it also violates the fundamental rights of practicing what’s been written in Islam. The bench, however, also clarified that no religion advocates the practice of blaring prayers or religious songs through sound amplifiers. Justice MMS Bedi also fully condemned the criticism Sonu Nigam is facing for speaking out on social media. He said that the petition was just a malicious attempt to use Sonu Nigam as a ‘scapegoat’ to gain publicity. Here’s what his statement reads, as reported by a leading daily:
If the contents of the complaint are seen in the context of Section 295-A of the Indian Penal Code (hurting religious sentiments), the words used in the tweet are not meant to insult any religion or religious belief of any class of citizens, and are apparently not deliberate or malicious.
Also read: Saif Ali Khan’s sane take on Sonu Nigam’s azaan comment row is a must-read for everyone
Here’s what Sonu had wrote on Twitter:
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
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 16, 2017
And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
I don’t believe in any temple or gurudwara using electricity To wake up people who don’t follow the religion . Why then..? Honest? True?
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
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Source: Hindustan Times
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