Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday announced that Delhi government’s invitation to Carnatic music vocalist TM Krishna, whose concert in the city was initially dropped by the Airport Authority of India (AAI), to perform in Delhi on November 17 and said no artist should be denied an opportunity to perform.

After Krishna’s November 17 concert to be held at Nehru Park was cancelled by AAI, the AAP government had on Thursday stepped in to organise another performance by Krishna.

The deputy chief minister said that Krishna has been invited to perform in Delhi on November 17.

“No artist should ever be denied an opportunity to perform. I have invited @tmkrishna to perform on November 17 for the people of Delhi It’s important to maintain the dignity of the Art and Artists,” he said.

Earlier, Krishna’s concert was to be part of a two-day “Dance and Music in the Park” festival at Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, jointly organised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the cultural body, SPIC-MACAY.

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On Wednesday, the AAI had called off a two-day concert by TM Krishna in Delhi, scheduled to be held on November 17 and 18, following a campaign by right-wing trolls.

“We would like to inform that due to some urgent engagements, ‘Dance and Music in the Park’ programme jointly organized by AAI and @spicmacay, scheduled for 17th and 18th November 2018 has been postponed and new dates would be shared shortly. Inconvenience caused is regretted,” Airports Authority of India’s Twitter handle announced.

On November 10, the AAI had announced that there would be Carnatic vocal performance by TM Krishna and others on November 17 and 18, and extended invitation via its Twitter handle.

The AAI and cultural organisation Spic Macay, which were organising Krishna’s concert jointly, said the event was not cancelled but “postponed”. The AAI was the major sponsor, said Rashmi Mallik from Spic Macay.

They were informed by AAI that the event had to be postponed due to “some internal challenges within AAI”, she said.

“It has not been cancelled. It has been postponed. We will be working out the new dates and share them,” she had said.

Krishna, considered one of the finest proponents of Carnatic music, has often been the subject of hate trolls for his critical views on Hindutva and the establishment.

(With agency inputs)