Amid a major row over Madras Music Academy awarding TM Krishna with Sangita Kalanidhi award, DMK MP Kanimozhi on Thursday defended the award and said the hate TM Krishna is receiving for his social beliefs or his engagement with Periyar is uncalled for. The award to Krishna drew flak from several Carnatic vocalists who even withdrew from the Music Academy Conference 2024. Carnatic vocalists Ranjani and Gayatri issued a statement announcing that they would not participate in the conference as it would be presided over by TM Krishna who, they said, caused immense damage to the Carnatic music world, insulted icons like Tyagaraja and MS Subbulakshmi.

“Its dangerous to overlook Mr TM Krishna’s glorification of a figure like EVR who 1. Openly proposed a genocide of ‘brahmins’2. Repeatedly called/abused every woman of this community with vile profanity 3. Relentlessly worked to normalize filthy language in social discourse,” their statement read.

On the criticism of EVR, Kanimozhi said a basic reading of Periyar’s ideas reveals that Periyar is one of the greatest feminists the world has seen and he never called for a genocide. “This hate, similar to the hate filled speech given by the BJP politician in Karnataka recently. Maybe they don’t believe in freedom of thought and expression that our country believes in,” Kanimozhi wrote.

Though Kanimozhi didn’t name anyone, her hint was at Karnataka BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje’s recent comment that people from Tamil Nadu were responsible for the recent blast at Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe. Later, she withdrew her comment and apologised. “To my Tamil brothers & sisters, I wish to clarify that my words were meant to shine light, not cast shadows. Yet I see that my remarks brought pain to some – and for that, I apologize. My remarks were solely directed towards those trained in the Krishnagiri forest, linked to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast. To anyone from Tamilnadu effected, From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. Furthermore, I retract my previous comments,” Shobha Karandlaje said.

An economics graduate, TM Krishna is the grandnephew of former finance minister TT Krishnamachari, who is among the founders of the Madras Music Academy.

According to a press release of the Music Academy, the Sangita Kalanidhi awardee will preside over the academic sessions of the 98th Annual Conference and Concerts of The Music Academy to be held between December 15, 2024 and January 1, 2025.