Kerala politician George arrested for controversial remarks against Muslims

Former Kerala MLA P C George was arrested by police on Sunday (May 1) in Erattupetta, Kottayam district, for his remarks against Muslims.

He was taken into custody early in the morning from his residence and taken by road, in his personal vehicle, to the Thiruvananthapuram AR Camp where his arrest was formally recorded for the offence of promoting enmity between different religious groups under section 153A of the IPC, according to a PTI report.

The FIR against George was lodged on Saturday. The 70-year-old was taken into custody by officers from the Thiruvananthapuram Fort police station on the directions of the state police chief Anil Kant.

“A case has been registered against the former MLA under section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code,” a senior police official told PTI on Saturday.

The entire episode from the time he was taken into custody till his arrest being recorded saw a lot of drama ranging from BJP workers extending him their wishes and support at various places on the road to Thiruvananthapuram, DYFI activists waving black flags at him outside the AR camp and then Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan being denied permission to enter the AR camp.

Visuals aired by TV channels also showed a group of protesters, reportedly DYFI activists, throwing rotten eggs at the vehicle carrying George.

After he was denied permission to enter the AR camp, Muraleedharan, speaking to reporters there, questioned the haste behind the arrest. The minister said that such haste was not shown in connection with the killings of BJP workers and leaders in the state.

He said that George was neither a terrorist nor a criminal, he was a well-known politician, a former MLA, and therefore, why the haste in arresting him.

“Police denied permission to a Union minister to go inside AR Camp, & the CPM govt speaks about the right to freedom of speech. This is double-speak, hypocrisy, I condemn it,” Muraleedharan said.

Thiruvananthapuram | Police denied permission to a Union minister to go inside AR Camp, & the CPM govt speaks about the right to freedom of speech. This is double-speak, hypocrisy, I condemn it: Union minister @VMBJP at AR Camp, Nandavanam pic.twitter.com/vLSKRdtYTY

— BJP KERALAM (@BJP4Keralam) May 1, 2022

George’s son, Shaun George, who accompanied him to Thiruvananthapuram had told a news channel that the action taken was a “show off” which was not required as his father was a person who would have appeared before the Fort police station if he had been called to do so.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and Congress MLA V D Satheesan, on the other hand, was of the view that the FIR could have been lodged much earlier instead of waiting for more than 24 hours after the alleged hate speech to take such an action.

George, the former Kerala Congress (M) politician 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 in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, he had alleged that tea laced with “drops causing impotence” was sold in Muslim-run restaurants to turn people “infertile” in a bid to “seize control” of the country.

George, who represented the Poonjar constituency in the state Assembly for 33 years, had also urged non-Muslims to boycott businesses run by Muslims.

“Muslim women are doing that very sincerely. I should congratulate them. They are moving towards the aim of seizing this Hindu Rashtra. Both Hindu and Christian women should beget at least four babies. I always put this demand before couples whenever I attend their marriages. Some of them happily agree to my suggestion,’’ he said at the event, according to reports.

(With inputs from Agencies)