Sonu Nigam shaves off his head, insists that he is not anti-Muslim

April 19, 2017

Mumbai, Apr 19: Sonu Nigam, who created a storm with his tweets on the use of loudspeakers in morning prayers at mosques, addressed the media at his house to clear his stand over the issue. The singer also invited celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim to cut his hair, in response to a West Bengal cleric's fatwa offering Rs 10 lakhs to shave off Sonu's head.

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The ace singer started off by saying that he didn't expect such a simple thing to become such a big topic of discussion. "I have considered Mohammed Rafi as my guru. My driver is a Muslim. I am not anti-Muslim, I consider myself secular," he said on him being labelled as anti-Muslim.

Sonu urged that "we need to be considerate with each other". He clarified that he's talking on the issue under a social context, and not a religious context.

On being asked why he was shaving his head, Sonu said, "It's not an agitation, not a challenge that I am throwing someone's way. I am shaving my head just to show that the person cutting my hair is a Muslim. It's all about interpreting things the right way. I exhort the media to present it like that and not in a confrontational way."

When analogies were drawn with his concerts using loudspeakers, the singer rebuked by saying that he sings only within the permissible time limits. Sonu also stated that "being secular doesn't mean we accept everything". Congress leader Ahmed Patel echoed Sonu's sentiments over the use of loudspeakers for Azaans in mosques. Sonu ended the interaction by quoting Ahmed Patel's remarks, "Azaan zaruri hai, loudspeaker nahi".

The singer then proceeded to have his head shaved at the hands of Aalim. Sonu emerged minutes later with a shaved head.

On Monday, Nigam blew up a controversy when he lashed out as "forced religiousness" in India after being woken up by the sound of the morning Aazaan from a mosque presumably near his home. "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."

He went on to tag Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to look into the matter.

"Dear Devendra Fadnavis please note and help us force police to act against illegal blaring of Azaan and other such activities," he added.

He was trolled by Twitteratti and organizations with protests and some planning to move court against him.

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News Network
May 1,2024

Mangaluru: The Bengaluru-Mangaluru air route has recently surpassed the Mumbai route to become the busiest for Mangaluru International Airport.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s city pairing data for March this year, 51,734 passengers travelled between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, while 50,340 passengers flew on the Mangaluru-Mumbai route.

In January and February, the Mumbai air route had the highest passenger flow with 60,306 and 52,732 passengers, respectively, compared to 53,509 and 47,530 for Bengaluru during the same months. However, the trend shifted in March, with the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route surpassing Mumbai.

An official from MIA explained, “The first reason for Bengaluru taking over Mumbai is that flights that almost fly full to Mumbai were reduced from March, after the ministry of civil aviation suggested easing air traffic congestion at Mumbai airport. The air carrier IndiGo, which used to operate four flights a day from MIA, reduced it to three. Air India Express, which operates two flights a day, has made no changes. As a result of this, Bengaluru has taken over Mumbai. A total seven flights operates per day to Bengaluru.” 

The official added that despite the reduction in flights, the Mumbai route still experiences high demand. DGCA data for 2023 shows that the Mumbai and Bengaluru sectors have experienced growth of 11.9% and 19.3%, respectively.

The Mangaluru-Mumbai sector has seen a total of 5,52,767 passengers, followed by Bengaluru with 5,52,500 passengers in the same calendar year.

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News Network
May 5,2024

Karwar, May 5: What commenced as a mere exchange of words between spouses swiftly transmuted into a calamitous ordeal, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of their innocent offspring. The heart-wrenching incident unfolded in the serene confines of Halamaddy village in the picturesque expanse of Dandeli, nestled within the idyllic expanse of Uttara Kannada district.

In the throes of a fervent dispute with her spouse, the aggrieved wife, succumbing to an overwhelming surge of emotions, callously propelled their tender six-year-old progeny into the somber depths of a nearby canal, thereafter alerting the local populace to her grievous act.

Promptly apprised of the distressing occurrence by concerned bystanders, the authorities were swiftly summoned to the scene to confront the harrowing aftermath.

Responding to the distress call, the diligent officers of Dandeli rural police swiftly converged upon the site where the innocent child had been cast into the unforgiving waters of the canal, subsequently effecting the retrieval of the child's lifeless form. 

Regrettably, it was discerned that a portion of the child's remains had been tragically claimed by the lurking jaws of a predatory crocodile.

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News Network
May 12,2024

TVserial.jpg

In an intriguing turn of events, authorities have levied a fine against an actress for breaching traffic regulations depicted within a television serial.

In the 14th episode of the popular serial ‘Seetha Raama’ a Kannada language drama series airing on Zee Kannada, a scene featuring two individuals riding a scooter caught the attention of viewers. While the rider adhered to safety protocols by wearing a helmet, the actress on the pillion did not.

Jayaprakash Yekkur, a vigilant resident of Mangaluru, took swift notice of this discrepancy and promptly lodged a complaint with the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner. Yekkur underscored the concern that such portrayals of traffic violations by actors and actresses could potentially convey misleading messages to viewers, particularly those who are impressionable. He urged authorities to take decisive legal action against the actress, the serial’s director, and the broadcasting channel.

In response to Yekkur’s complaint, the Commissioner of Police forwarded the matter to the Mangaluru Traffic Police station. Subsequently, notices were issued to the owner of the two-wheeler featured in the scene and the serial’s director. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the scene had been filmed in Nandini Layout, Bengaluru, and was referred to the Rajajinagar police station for further scrutiny.

On May 10, after thorough inquiries, the Rajajinagar police station imposed a fine of Rs 500 on both the actress and the owner of the two-wheeler. Furthermore, the production manager of the serial committed to adhering strictly to traffic regulations in future episodes.

Expressing his contentment with the resolution, Jayaprakash Yekkur commented that the prompt response from the police, coupled with the imposition of a fine, serves as a valuable lesson and contributes significantly to enhancing public awareness.

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