Two man were stabbed in Gopalpura, Madhya Pradesh, on Thursday after one of them took to Facebook in support of Sonu Nigam’s comments on the use of loudspeakers for Azaan, the Muslim call for prayer. Shivam Rai, who posted a comment on Facebook regarding the issue, was allegedly threatened on the phone by two men and told to come to the Freeganj area. Rai and his friend Ayush Shreewas were attacked on arrival with knives, reported The Hindustan Times. The two were later admitted to a district hospital; Shreewas was reportedly seriously injured.
A case of attempted murder under Section 307 of the IPC has been filed against the accused, Mohammad Nagori and Faizan Khan, the Madhavnagar police station in-charge MS Parmar told The Hindustan Times. The attackers are still at large. “They asked me to meet them in Freeganj area. When I reached there with my friend, Ayush Shreewas, they attacked us with knives,” Rai is quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times.
Read: Muslim cleric says people who do not respect secularism should leave India
Earlier this week, Sonu Nigam stirred controversy after going on a Twitter rant against the use of loudspeakers at Mosques, calling it ‘forced religiousness’ and ‘gundagardi’. His comments, which were backed by some and opposed by others, particularly angered Muslim cleric Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quaderi who announced a reward of Rs 10 lakhs to anyone who manages to shave Nigam’s head, make him wear a garland of old shoes and parade him across the country. The row didn’t stop there, as soon after, Nigam himself shaved his head and told the media that he stands by his statements.
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
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
“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,” he had tweeted. He added, “And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam.. Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?”
I don’t believe in 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
Gundagardi hai bus…
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
“I don’t believe in any temple or gurudwara using electricity To wake up people who don’t follow the religion . Why then..? Honest? True? Gundagardi hai bus…”