Nigam got embroiled in a controversy after he said, in a series of tweets, that shrines should not wake people up by using loudspeakers and demanded an end to such "forced religiousness".
When asked about this, Akhtar said, "I think be it a masjid, mandir, church or gurudwara, whatever is the place, do your prayers, but it shouldn't disturb anyone else."
Akhtar was talking on the sidelines of Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards 2017. He received the best poet, lyricist and scriptwriter in Bollywood award.
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