A cross-section of social media users is demanding to boycott Indian singer Sonu Nigam for his three-year-old tweet expressing frustration on waking up early in the morning because of Muslim Azaan (call to prayer).
Meanwhile, Emirati residents are calling for his arrest after his controversial tweet resurfaced on social media. The screenshot of his tweet is circulating on social media for the past few days and Dubai residents want him to be arrested as the singer is stranded in Dubai amid lockdown.
https://twitter.com/albinaali18/status/1252531932694372352?s=20
In April 2017, Nigam wrote on Twitter that despite being a non-Muslim he is woken up by the Azaan. “When will this forced religiousness end in India,” he had written in a tweet after which he had faced backlash. He complained that noise emerging from loudspeakers during the call to prayers disturbed his ‘morning sleep’.
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The famous Bollywood singer had also said that the ‘noise from loudspeakers’ of temples and gurudwaras also added to the noise pollution.
The singer had deleted the tweet after a severe backlash from various religious communities particularly Muslims.
In his previous interview with Gulf News, the singer opened up about the controversy and quitting Twitter following the backlash.
https://twitter.com/daniyal_A008/status/1252370110305558529?s=20
“I quit Twitter because it became a nuisance more than any assistance. Anybody has the right to say anything to anyone. For instance, I am talking to you now on the phone, but if I start abusing you I can be punished for it,” said Sonu Nigam.
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“You will write about me being bad-mouthed and question what my parents taught me… I will pay for it. But how do these guys go scot-free?” asked Nigam during that interview.
https://twitter.com/Mdanishadv/status/1252357631647215623?s=20
Currently, Sonu Nigam is stranded in Dubai when he was visiting his son who is studying there. He chooses to stay back in Dubai during the lockdown to protect his elderly father in India. Since he is present there, the citizens are calling Dubai Police to arrest him over his tweet on Azaan.