After Sonu Nigam shaves head, cleric says 'there was no fatwa against singer'

Kolkata: Cleric Syed Sha Atef Ali Al Quaderi today said no 'fatwa' was issued against Sonu Nigam for his tweets over the use of loudspeakers in shrines and that the singer will get Rs 10 lakh award announced by him only if he fulfils the rest of the conditions.

"I wish to state that there was no fatwa issued against Nigam...I reacted to his tweet on azaan. I would like to say that if you (Nigam) need to live in a democratic, secular country like India you have to live with every religion," Syed Al Quaderi, the vice-president of West Bengal Minority United Council, told PTI.

"Today Sonu has shaved off his head. But he still needs to perform two other deeds to get the reward of Rs 10 lakh. I had mentioned a garland of old shoes and that he would have to roam around the entire nation.

"Once he fulfils the two deeds I will hold a press conference and hand over the cheque to Nigam," he said.

The cleric had yesterday announced a Rs 10 lakh reward to anyone who can shave the singer's hair, put a garland of old torn shoes around his neck and tour him around the country.

The Bollywood playback singer today got his head tonsured by a celebrity hairstylist at a press conference in Mumbai where he said that his tweets were against the use of loudspeakers in morning sermons and not aimed at any particular religion.

"The one who is cutting my hair is a Muslim and I'm a Hindu. There is no animosity. The same language of 'fatwa' can be communicated in a language of love," Nigam said.

"I don't think my religion is the best and yours isn't. I don't believe in that. You have to fight fanaticism. You can't be quiet," he added.