Singer Sonu Nigam, who recently sparked a controversy over his tweets against ‘azaan’, has demanded strict action against those who issue death threats in the form of ‘fatwa’. The noted Bollywood singer said this during popular television show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’, that is hosted by India TV’s Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma.
“I have full faith in God, who is omnipresent and all-pervading. But I don’t like this mentality, when any one issues fatwa against any other person, saying cut off his hair, kill him. There was a fatwa offering to pay Rs 51 crore for cutting off my head.
“In my view, the government must do something about fatwa. How can we allow such things like fatwa?” Said Nigam. Elaborating further he also attacked the gau rakshaks and said, “I am also against lynching of people by gau rakshaks. I am totally against them. I don’t like hooliganism in any form. You can’t go in a group of 12 people and threaten a family in the name of religion. Such things should not happen in our country.”
Sharma who is known for his tough questions, asked Sonu Nigam whether he would be getting a Rajya Sabha ticket from BJP, he replied that he doesn’t have any contacts with politicians and that he is happy in his own world.
He admitted that he have contacts with AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, but not because he is a politician, but because of him being a poet. Nigam also revealed that Vishwas wants him to sing his songs.
When asked whether he ever felt leaving India and settle abroad, Sonu Nigam replied, “Yes sometimes I did feel that I should go away, but then there’s no country in the world where you’d find 100 per cent things okay, there are shortcomings everywhere.”
Following his tweets over ‘azaan’, the singer shaved off his head after a Kolkata cleric offered to pay Rs 10 lakhs to anybody who could shave his head and garland him with shoes for insulting Islam.
Sonu Nigam clarified that his tweets were against the use of loudspeakers at odd hours, and not against ‘azaan’ only. “I had mentioned azaan, aarti, gurbani too in tweets.”
“If you understand correctly, I have a social message to give, not a religious message.”
When Rajat Sharma pointed out that he had praised UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath at an event in IIT Kanpur 15 days before his controversial tweets, Sonu Nigam replied: “Had it been so, why should I’ve mentioned temples in my tweets. I mentioned temples, gurudwaras. It means I have no bad intentions. Near my home, I don’t have a temple. Had it been so, I’d have mentioned about that too.”
On singer Mika Singh’s remark that Sonu Nigam should change his residence, the singer, asked: “Kaun Mika?” (Mika Who?)
Speaking about his future plans, Sonu clarified that he has no interest in joining politics and has no connection with any political party.
