Azaan row: Sonu Nigam shaves his head to answer Maulavi's challenge
Mumbai: Singer Sonu Nigam made a strong statement on his ‘democratic right’ Wednesday when he appeared before the media with a shiny bald pate – answering a Muslim cleric’s open offer of a Rs 10-lakh bounty to anyone who would shave Sonu’s hair.
The Muslim cleric was angry after Sonu Nigam shook the Internet on April 17 with a series of tweets questioning why needed to be woken up by the ‘Azaan’ in the morning and when this “forced religiousness would end in India”?
Sonu appeared before the media bald at his home Wednesday afternoon and said, “I believe in all faiths and I didn’t speak against any religion.”
The singer, who was branded as an 'anti-Muslim' for his tweets, said: "Jiss insaan ne poori zindagi Mohd Rafi sahab ko apna pita maana hai, jiske guru ka naam Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan sahab hai, us insan ke baare mein koi aisa soche, kahe ya taunt kare ki anti-Muslim hai, toh ye meri problem nahi hai, ye aapki problem hai. (I am someone who spent my entire life idolising Mohd Rafi as my father figure, I am someone whose teacher is Ustad Gulam Mustafa Khan, and I am being labelled anti-Muslim… it’s not my problem but the other person’s.)"
Sonu Nigam also stressed over how it is his democratic right to have an opinion, "This is a social topic and not religious and I have a right to my opinion.”
For the last two days Sonu Nigam has been at the receiving end of severe criticism after his tweets on the 'Azaan' went viral.
Read: Sonu Nigam goes on a religious rant criticising Azaan, faces backlash
The remark outraged a Muslim organisation and a cleric announced an award on the singer.
The cleric was quoted saying: "If anyone can shave his hair, put a garland of old torn shoes around his neck and tour him around the country, I personally announce an award of Rs10 lakhs for that person.”
Sonu took it as a challenge. He announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he was ready to shave his head and asked the Maulavi to bring the amount to his home.
