India, Feb. 28 -- A dissonant build up of claims and counter-claims, sharp enough to snap a sitar string, has engulfed the rarefied world of Hindustani classical music. On Friday, the Delhi-based Ravi Shankar Centre, dedicated to preserving the legacy of Pandit Ravi Shankar, issued a measured but sharp rebuttal to sitarist Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma's claims of being the maestro's last disciple.

The 26-year-old US-based Sharma is a rising star in the music world and is known for his fusion of Hindustani classical with modern electronic elements. He has performed at the White House when Joe Biden was president, and is at present on a 10-city India tour called 'Sitar for Mental Health.' A flamboyant musician who often mixes spoken verses with...