Singer Sonu Nigam, who is currently living in Dubai during the coronavirus pandemic, has deactivated his Twitter account, after his old tweets criticising loudspeakers used for Azaan resurfaced online, prompting many users to call for his boycott in the Gulf country.
Nigam made those comments in 2017 in India after he said he was woken up by the morning ‘Azaan’ from the neighbourhood mosque. “When will this forced religiousness end in India,” the singer had asked.
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
He did not stop just there. He also invoked the name of the Prophet Muhammad and made a sarcastic remark.
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
He also went on to tweet that he didn’t “believe 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
And he had ended his rant by writing Gundagardi (Hooliganism) hai bus…
Gundagardi hai bus…
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
At the time, the singer was criticised for his anti-Muslim comments, raising a Twitter storm for and against him.
Those controversial comments have resurfaced again, prompting social media users to tag Dubai Police, asking for action to be taken against him since he’s now temporarily stranded in the UAE during the ongoing national sterilisation drive in the Gulf country.
I request UAE govt to please send Sonu Nigam to India as he does deserve to be in muslim country.
In India, he has problems with his own Indian Muslims over azan.
Deleting Twitter account won't solve the problem. Kick him out. He isn't a citizen there. pic.twitter.com/n4d2bxTqsq— Who cares (@ragingBULL3x) April 21, 2020
@DubaiPoliceHQ@alnassar_kw@AlGhurair98
Hi
Please take action against the singer @sonunigam pic.twitter.com/K7Hf307R62 pic.twitter.com/x45uBWhicA— Mohamed Habibullah (@MohamedHabibul2) April 21, 2020
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I heard that Indian Singer the coward #SonuNigam has deactivated his @Twitter account after twitter storm against #Islamophobia by Arabian Officials, bcoz #SonuNigam had aslo a problem with #Azan & now is residing in #Dubai he got scared! pic.twitter.com/uuM3bG1PQu
— KIRTI❤️ (@alokkirti1990) April 21, 2020
Why can't #SonuNigam be open about his bigotry! 🤣
Pyaar kia to darna kya..
— Shihab Khan (@shihabkhan90) April 21, 2020
@DubaiPoliceHQc you immediately arrest #SonuNigam. This has insulted our Prophet. In tweet, tomorrow you will have to answer on the Day of Allah also👇 pic.twitter.com/bi5Ji6HGD5
— mdanishadv (@Mdanishadv) April 20, 2020
Sonu Nigam has performed in the UAE and other Muslim countries more than a dozen times over the years, and reportedly his son studies in the UAE, a Muslim country, where Azaan is announced through loudspeakers five times a day.