A Kerala court on Friday granted bail to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader PC George in a hate speech case registered against him over derogatory remarks targeting the Muslim community.

The case originates 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 also reportedly urged them to migrate to Pakistan and referred to them as "beggars."

Following a complaint by the Muslim Youth League Municipal Committee, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) 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.

George initially sought anticipatory bail from a Sessions Court in Kottayam, but his plea was dismissed, citing a previous High Court order that had warned him against making inflammatory statements while out on bail in another hate speech case. His subsequent plea before the Kerala High Court was also rejected, with Justice PV Kunhikrishnan criticizing politicians who resort to provocative remarks in a secular country.

After the High Court’s refusal, George surrendered before the police on February 21. His first attempt at securing bail from the Erattupetta Judicial First Class Magistrate Court was unsuccessful, leading to a 14-day police custody order on February 24.

However, upon filing another bail plea before the same magistrate court, he was granted regular bail on Friday. The controversy surrounding his remarks had sparked widespread criticism, prompting George to issue a public apology on social media.