Govt must take action against those who issue threatening fatwa: Sonu Nigam

New Delhi, May 7: Popular singer Sonu Nigam has urged the central government to take action against those who issue death threats in the form of "fatwa".

Last month, Nigam got embroiled in a controversy over his tweets against use of loudspeaker at odd hours during azaan (Muslim call for prayer).

"I have full faith in God, who is omnipresent and all-pervading. But I don't like this mentality, when any one issues fatwa against any other person, saying cut off his hair, kill him. There was a fatwa… for cutting off my head," Sonu said on TV show "Aap Ki Adalat".

"In my view, the government must do something about this. We live in a civilised and democratic country. We are a republic. How can we allow such things like fatwa? I am also against lynching of people by Gau Rakshaks. I am totally against them.

"I don't like gundagardi (hooliganism) in any form. You can't go in a group of 12 people and threaten a family in the name of religion. Such things should not happen in our country. We are all doing well, actually. We are doing very well these days. This is not a political statement, but I believe 'Achhe din aa rahe hain' (good days are coming)," he added.

Sonu said he has no interest in joining politics and has no connection with any political party.

"I do not have any contacts with politicians. Neither do I invite them, nor anybody comes to my house, nor do I get any phone calls from them. I am happy in my world. I don't visit any politician's house," he said.

"Yes, I do have contacts with (AAP leader) Kumar Vishwas, but he is a poet, and he wants me to sing his songs. I am neither aligned with any political party, nor any organisation. I do charity work quietly, and I do not boast," he added.

Sonu also said that though he "sometimes did feel" like leaving India and settling in some other country, he considers India as his home.

The episode of "Aap Ki Adalat" featuring Nigam will be aired later on Saturday on India TV.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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