T M Krishna to perform at AAP govt's event in Delhi on Nov 17
New Delhi, Nov 16 : Carnatic music vocalist TM Krishna, whose concert in the city was scrapped by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), will perform at the Garden of Five Senses on Saturday evening on an invitation of the AAP government, an official said.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced Delhi government's invitation to Krishna, saying 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, who often finds himself in the cross-hairs of controversy over his outspoken views.
Krishna will perform at the event -- 'Awam ki Awaz' -- hosted by the Delhi government at the Garden of Five Senses at 6.30 pm on Saturday, said a senior government official.
Sisodia said on Twitter, "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".
Krishna's concert organised by the AAI was allegedly cancelled following a troll campaign against it for hosting the vocalist, a Magsaysay award winner who has been called an "urban Naxal" and "a converted bigot" among other epithets.
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.
The artist, who is credited for being one of those taking the 600-year-old Carnatic musical tradition forward, is also an activist who has worked on creating egalitarian spaces for music and breaking down caste barriers.
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Govt ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels, securing convictions against offenders: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and praised the NCB for securing convictions against 73 offenders in the first quarter of 2026.
Among the important convictions is one linked to a case involving the seizure of 2.75 kg of heroin at the Ahmedabad airport in 2021 and 4.23 kg of heroin at Fazilka (Punjab) along the India-Pakistan border in 2022.
In these cases, two foreign traffickers were sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, a home ministry statement said.
Shah took to X to say: "To protect our youth from the scourge of drugs, the Modi govt is ruthlessly demolishing drug cartels and is also ensuring their conviction."
"Under this mission, the NCB has made a breakthrough of getting 73 drug offenders convicted in the first three months of 2026, with harshest punishments. We are determined to shut every breathing space of drug rackets with entire might. Congratulations to NCB for this achievement," the home minister said.
According to official data, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) secured convictions for 73 drug offenders in 35 cases in the first three months of this year. Of the convicts, four were awarded the maximum sentence of 20 years, while 54 received sentences of 10 years or more.
The statement said a total fine of Rs 1.22 crore was also imposed on the convicts.
The statement also mentioned a conviction secured in the 2023 pseudoephedrine-diversion case (a controlled substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act) involving a company named Alps Life Sciences Private Limited located in Sonipat, Haryana.
In this case, three accused, including the firm's director, were sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh each. The company was also convicted and fined Rs 1.5 lakh. The permission granted to the company for manufacturing pseudoephedrine has also been withdrawn by the NCB, the statement said.
The federal anti-narcotics agency has also appealed to other central and state enforcement agencies to identify key undertrial cases involving drug kingpins and ensure effective prosecution, according to the statement.
