PC George’s bail cancelled, gets arrested for hate speech against Muslims

The former MLA had received bail in the first hate speech case on the condition that he would not repeat the same offence, which he violated a week later.
PC George making speech
PC George making speech
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Senior Kerala politician PC George, who made hate speech against Muslims twice in recent weeks, has been arrested after his bail was cancelled by a magisterial court in Kochi. TNM confirmed with the police that the court cancelled George’s bail as he violated the condition by repeating the same offence. The Palarivattom police in Ernakulam booked George on May 10 on charges of hate speech, a week after he was arrested by the Fort police on similar charges. 

Loud slogans in support of George came from BJP supporters at the Palarivattom station on Wednesday, May 25. This is the second time George has been arrested in weeks, after he was first arrested on May 1, for a communal speech against Muslims made at the ‘Hindu Maha Sammelan’ in Thiruvananthapuram. He was given conditional bail the same afternoon — the condition being that he was not to generate hatred or involve in controversies. Within a week however, George made a speech in the same vein against Muslims, at a temple festival in Vennala. And the Palarivattom police booked him under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for promoting enmity between groups (153) and of outraging religious feelings (295 A). 

The 70-year-old former MLA had sparked controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid eating at restaurants run by the community. Addressing a programme organised as part of the Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan late last month, the former Kerala Congress leader had alleged that tea laced with "drops causing impotence" was sold in Muslim-run restaurants to turn people "infertile" in a bid to "seize control" of the country, a claim that has previously been debunked as false.

As the remarks triggered widespread political controversy, a case was registered and he was arrested on May 1. However, within a few hours of his arrest, George secured bail from a magisterial court. After his release too, he made a provocative statement that his arrest was “Pinarayi's gift to terrorist Muslims.”

In the interim period of the two cases, George expressed no remorse, standing rock solid on his stand. 

The second time, he breached the conditions of his bail and the police moved court to cancel it. The court allowed the plea of the police, George's lawyer — advocate Ajith Kumar — confirmed.

On being asked whether he would appeal against the cancellation of his bail, advocate Ajith Kumar said his client would first obey the law and then decide what to do next.

The police had sought cancellation of his bail alleging that soon after he was granted the relief, George addressed the visual media in front of the Judicial Officer's Quarters, Vanchiyoor, and said that he is still sticking to what he had stated in the speech and was justifying the same which amounts to repetition of the same crime and spread of further communal hatred.

(With PTI inputs)

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