The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition filed against Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam over his controversial tweet on the azaan. The court declared that the azaan, although integral to Islam, does not have to be played on loudspeakers.
The petition filed by Aas Mohammad, a resident of Sonepat in Haryana, said Nigam had hurt Muslim sentiments with his tweet. The petition also claimed that the singer had disrespected the constitutional right of Muslims to handle their own religious affairs.
Hindustan Times reported that a single-judge bench comprising Justice MMS Bedi described the petition filed against the 43-year-old singer as a “cheap” publicity stunt.
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.Justice MMS Bedi
A fair interpretation of the words used by respondent no 4 (Nigam) clearly indicates that the word ‘gundagardi’ in tweet no 4 is not addressed in the context of the azaan but the use of loudspeakers and amplifiers.
On 17 April, Nigam had tweeted: “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?”
Not only did Nigam’s tweet ignite a social media uproar, it also invited a fatwa against him.