A Kerala court on Monday refused to grant bail to BJP leader PC George in a hate speech case registered against him for making derogatory remarks against the Muslim community.
Last week, the Kerala High Court rejected George’s anticipatory bail plea, prompting him to surrender before the police.
He subsequently moved the Erattupetta Judicial First Class Magistrate Court for bail, but the court denied his request and remanded him to 14 days in police custody. A detailed order is awaited.
The case stems from a televised debate aired on Janam TV on January 5, where George allegedly stated that all Muslims in India were terrorists and communalists. He further suggested that there was not a single Muslim in India who was not a terrorist, urged Muslims to migrate to Pakistan, and referred to them as "beggars."
Following a complaint from the Muslim Youth League Municipal Committee, police registered an FIR against George 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.
The incident triggered widespread criticism, leading George to issue a public apology on social media.
Earlier, he had sought anticipatory bail from a Sessions Court in Kottayam, but his plea was dismissed after the court noted that he had violated bail conditions set by the High Court in a previous hate speech case. The High Court had previously warned George against making such statements while out on bail, stating that non-compliance could lead to bail cancellation.
His anticipatory bail plea in the present case was also rejected last week by Justice PV Kunhikrishnan, who criticized the growing trend of politicians making provocative statements in a secular country.
Although the police had attempted to arrest him earlier, George ultimately surrendered before the Magistrate Court, leading to his remand in police custody.
