Eminent Carnatic vocalist and Magsaysay awardee TM Krishna's choice of singing a Carnatic composition dedicated to Allah made his concert at the ninth edition of Literature Live, Mumbai's largest literary festival, stand out on Friday.

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It will be recalled that he was scheduled to perform at a SPICMACAY concert in Delhi. Following a concerted troll campaign which targeted him for "singing the praise of Allah and Jesus," the concert was postponed indefinitely after Airports Authority of India went back on its commitment for the venue. 

Earlier on Friday, the musician-activist was speaking on the sidelines of a talk on art and activism he delivered at the ongoing Litfest about the circumstances which led to the cancellation of the concert and how the Delhi government had ensured he had another concert on the same day at Delhi.

He refuted claims that the concert on Saturday in the national capital was an Aam Aadmi Party event. "I am not part of any political outfit. If this was an invitation from any political party I would have declined. This is a Delhi government programme," he told DNA.

While lamenting "the enabling atmosphere created by the current dispensation," he said, "Trolls who spew vilest of hate on the social media against anyone who questions anything feel emboldened as no voice in the government chooses to speak against them. In fact, we often find tacit support for such hate."

He also reacted to veteran classical danseuse and recent Rajya Sabha MP Sonal Mansingh's criticism of him. The veteran danseuse had said, "It is hypocritical to act as a vicious political activist and claim the privilege of an artiste."

Krishna told DNA: "I can understand the political pressure on Sonalji to say what she has but I do not see my art and my politics as mutually exclusive."

Earlier in his talk, he insisted that all art is in it's very essence political. "Everything from what you wear, how you sit, what you sing and how you interpret a composition is all political." 

According to him, becoming aware about this can make a performer a better artiste. "I don't know why everybody speaks of separating art and politics. I feel we need to politicise all of art. It will help us look for the beautiful in the ugly and the ugly in the beautiful."

When asked why he hasn't reacted to the trolls who keep attacking him he folded his hands to say: "For that, I'll have to learn their language and politics. I'm better off without it."