Singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthy slammed for tweeting azaan ‘not civilised’

Months after singer Sonu Nigam’s tweet on the morning azaan quoted controversies, actor and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi tweeted complaining about the ‘ear shattering call of azaan.

On July 22, at 5.33 pm, Krishnamoorthi tweeted: “came home at 4.45 am 2 most aggressive/ear shattering call of azaan. Nothing more lowlife & dumb than such extreme imposed religiousity”.

However, the singer had to face the wrath of Twitterati, who started commenting on her post.

To one such tweet, Krishnamoorthi said waking up the entire neighbourhood at five in morning is uncivilised.

“I wake up at Brahmamuhurt of my own accord & do my prayers & riyaz. & yoga. I dont need public loudspeakers to remind me of my God or my duty,” (sic) she said.

The tweet also evoked angry reactions, with Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi saying: “Those who sing and dance till early hours, drink at 2 a.m. in parties in hotels, and sit with their arms on shoulders of strange men and talk, who have spoilt Indian culture have suddenly started criticising.”

Saying that people like Sonu Nigam and Suchitra had no right to criticise ‘azaan’ or even tolling of temple bells, Azmi advised them to go to bed at 8 pm instead and get up early in the morning. Terming her statement “irresponsible”, another SP leader asked whether the prayer call was more important or her sleep.

Suchitra hit back saying such political leaders need to be ignored and sent for “recovery”. She also said that her comment was not against any religion but the volume of azaan.

Meanwhile, celebs too joined in.

Showing her displeasure was jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali who tweeted: “My dear,I normally wuld not comment but yr description of d Azaan tht annoys u speaks lowly of u. U culd hav had more dignity in yr comment.”

Suchitra struck a conciliatory note, saying that she did indeed get carried away. “...and yes I agree my words were too strong. It’s the writer & dramatist in me - I get carried away.”

Commenting on Suchita’s comments was Pakistani journalist Mehar Tarar too. She found some words in the actor’s tweet ‘vulgar and insensitive’.

Not to back off, Suchitra came back with a riposte on Sunanda Pushkar.

It was in April that Sonu Nigam courted controversy over the azaan issue by calling it ‘forced religiousness’. Following a storm of protests, he had shaved his head eventually after a fatwa was issued against him.