Singer Sonu Nigam, in a series of tweets, described the use of loudspeakers to broadcast sermons and calls to prayers by mosques, temples and gurudwaras as hooliganism or 'gundagardi'.
"Gundagardi hai bus (it is hooliganism)," he posted on Twitter today.
The 43-year-old singer said he didn't believe that shrines should wake people up with the use of loudspeakers and demanded an end to "forced religiousness".
"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," Nigam tweeted.
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
In another tweet he wrote, "And by the way Mohammed did not have electricity when he made Islam (sic). Why do I have to have this cacophony after Edison?"
Nigam said that he didn't believe that temples or gurudwaras should use electricity either.
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
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
"Why then..? Honest? True?," he wrote.
Gundagardi hai bus...
— Sonu Nigam (@sonunigam) April 17, 2017
While many people have criticised Nigam over his tweets, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri lent his support to him and wrote: "I am willing to sponsor a campaign against illegal blaring of Azaan and other prayers on loudspeakers. Suggest a creative hashtag."
He went on to tag Maharastra 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.
