BJP leader PC George surrenders before Erattupetta court in hate speech case

Kottayam: In the hate speech case, controversial BJP leader P C George surrendered before the Erattupetta court even as the police had arrived at his residence here as he faced imminent arrest. 

The case resulted from the derogatory remarks made by George during a TV discussion on January 5 against the Muslim community. He was booked under Sections 196(1)(a) and 299 of the BNS, as well as Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act.

Citing his repeated violations of bail conditions, the Kerala High Court on Friday denied him anticipatory bail, stating that granting relief in such cases would send out “a wrong message to society’. 

In 2022, George was similarly booked for a hate speech case, after which the court had explicitly directed him to refrain from making statements that could incite religious enmity. However, his recent remarks were found to be in violation of these conditions, leading to the current legal action.

After the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea, the police visited George’s residence multiple times in search of him. However, George was not at home and had informed the police that he would appear on Monday. Instead of presenting himself at the police station, he arrived before the magistrate accompanied by his lawyer and some BJP leaders.

As police prepare to take him into custody, BJP workers have gathered at his residence in protest, expressing their opposition to the move. Meanwhile, local residents have taken a stand against him, asserting that he should not have disregarded the very people who had voted him to power in the past years.