Kerala: PC George Arrested For Hate Speech

Kerala police on Wednesday (25 May) arrested former legislator and Kerala Congress leader PC George after a district court in Thiruvananthapuram cancelled his anticipatory bail for flouting conditions of the pre-arrest bail.

He was booked for delivering an inflammatory speech during a meeting of Hindu priests in the state capital on 28 April. He was arrested on 1 May, and the district court later granted him bail but restrained him from making inflammatory speeches.

But police moved the court again after another case was registered against him last week for making another round of provocative speech in Vennala (Kochi) in which he criticised a particular community.

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 the court to cancel it. The court allowed the plea of the police, George's lawyer, 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 was 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.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Surendran condemned his arrest. "There are different yardsticks to different people. In Alappuzha, when PFI workers raised highly provocative slogans it took three days for police to act," he said.

Speaking at the Ananthapurai Hindu Mahasammelan on 28 April, PC George had made inflammatory comments against Muslims and Christians in the context of 'Love Jihad'.

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