In his remarks, he stated, “all Muslims in India were terrorists and communalists and that there was not a single Muslim in India who was not a terrorist.”
Kerala: A Kerala court on Friday, 28th Feb, granted bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader PC George in a hate speech case filed against him for making derogatory comments about the Muslim community.
The case began after PC George made controversial statements during a televised debate on Janam TV on January 5.
In his remarks, he stated, “all Muslims in India were terrorists and communalists and that there was not a single Muslim in India who was not a terrorist.”
He also allegedly urged Muslims to move to Pakistan and called them “beggars.”
Following these statements, the Muslim Youth League Municipal Committee lodged a complaint, leading the police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against him.
The charges were framed under Sections 196(1)(a) (promoting enmity on religious, racial, or linguistic grounds) and 299 (malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), along with Section 120(o) (Powers to deal with unlawful assemblies) of the Kerala Police Act.
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After the FIR was registered, George first approached the Sessions Court in Kottayam for anticipatory bail. However, his plea was dismissed because the court found that he had violated previous bail conditions set by the Kerala High Court in another hate speech case.
In that earlier case, the High Court had explicitly warned him against making similar statements, stating that failure to comply could lead to bail cancellation.
George then moved to the Kerala High Court seeking anticipatory bail in this case. However, Justice PV Kunhikrishnan rejected his plea, strongly criticizing politicians for making inflammatory speeches. The judge remarked that such statements were unacceptable in a secular country like India.
With no protection from arrest, PC George surrendered before the police on February 21. His initial bail plea before the Erattupetta Judicial First Class Magistrate Court was rejected, and he was sent to 14-day police custody starting from February 24.
However, George later filed another bail plea before the same court, which was granted on Friday.
