P C George, a seven-term MLA of Kerala Legislative Assembly, was sent to Thiruvananthapuram District Jail on Thursday as the Judicial Magistrate cancelled the bail granted to the former on May 1 for the Ananthapuri Hindu Mahasammelan Speech at Thiruvananthapuram which the police described as hate speech.
George, a maverick politician, is the lone senior leader from the non-BJP parties to caution the people about the increasing instances of inter-caste marriages happening between Hindu girls and Muslim youth in the State. He was very critical of the Halal food controversy and had asked all those who do not subscribe to the Quranic concept to stay away from establishments selling Halal products.
A Bench of the Kerala High Court that was to consider the plea for regular bail filed by George on Thursday postponed the hearing to Friday. George was held by the Police on Wednesday evening when he had gone to the Kochi City Police Commissioner for questioning in connection with another hate speech made by him at Ernakulam. While the interrogation was in progress, the Thiruvananthapuram Judicial Magistrate issued an order cancelling the conditional bail granted him by the Judicial Court on May 1.
The arrest of George is seen as a sign of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cracking the whip on political leaders resorting to hate speeches in the bacdrop of the bye-election scheduled from assembly constituency on May 31. The Congress, the CPI(M) and the BJP are trying to wrest the seat. Vijayan is leading the election campaign from the front and has stayed put in Thrikkakkara.All LDF ministers and MLAs too are working round-the-clock for the victory of Dr Joe Joseph.
The Chief Minister took time off from the hectic campaign at Thrikkakkara on Thursday to meet the victim of the 2017 rape and assault case as she had approached the High Court with allegations that some CPI(M) leaders were hand in glove with the main accused, Dileep and the trial court was out to derail the trial process. Vijayan later told reporters that the victim is fully satisfied with the investigation carried out by the State Police.