Former Kerala MLA P C George, who was arrested on Sunday in connection with a hate speech against the Muslim commuity, was later granted bail by a local court in Thiruvananthapuram.
The BJP backed George by receiving him while the police took him from his house in Kottayam district and brought to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday morning. Senior BJP leaders in the state including Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan turned up to greet George.
A former Kerala Congress party leader, George was an MLA for over 30 years. He was associated with both Congress-led United Democratic Front and CPM-led Left Democratic Front over the years and also with the NDA for a brief period. He had floated his own party 'Janapaksham'. George has been criticised for using bad language against opponents.
George made the anti-Muslim comments while speaking at Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan, an annual event organised by some Hindu outfits, in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. After the statement triggered a row, the police received several complaints. A case was registered against him on Saturday under IPC sections 153A for promoting enmity and 295A for deliberate attempt to outrage religious sentiments. The case was registered at the Fort police station in Thiruvananthapuram city on Saturday.
By around 5 am on Sunday a police team reached George's house in Kottayam district and arrested him. He was allowed to travel by his car. DYFI activists raised protest against him at various places, while Congress flayed the decision to allow him to travel by his car.
He was later produced before a judicial first-class magistrate and granted bail on the condition that he should not try to influence witnesses or indulge in any sort of hate campaigns.
George later told reporters that his remarks in the speech were against a section of extremists in the Muslim community only and he stands by it. He alleged that the CPM and the Congress were supporting extremist outfits for electoral gains and his arrest was an attempt by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to please them.
George had sparked off a controversy by asking non-Muslims in Kerala to avoid restaurants run by the community. Addressing a programme organised as part of the ongoing Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan here on Friday, he had alleged that tea laced with drops causing impotence were sold in Muslim-run restaurants to turn people infertile in a bid to seize control of the country.
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