Former MLA P C George is, once again, being pulled up for hate speech as the Kochi city police have registered a fresh case of hate speech against him.
George was arrested by the Thiruvananthapuram city police for a case of hate speech recently but had been released on bail. With a fresh case being registered against him, for the same charge as before, he is likely to be arrested again.
The bail in the earlier case could also be repealed; the police have already moved ahead with a request for such.
The fresh case against George comes for his public address on Sunday against a particular community at a temple at Vennala in Kochi. In the speech, he had alleged that the members of the said community were the ones mostly involved in smuggling and hawala cases.
According to the police, non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code, section 153-A (for promoting enmity between groups on the basis of religion) and section 295 (for injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) have been invoked against him.
George’s earlier arrest, on May 1, by the Thiruvananthapuram city police from his house at Poonjar in Kottayam had triggered a political row in Kerala.
While the BJP had strongly backed George by felicitating him in presence of Union Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and other state leaders.
George has been an MLA for over 30 years in Kerala, representing the regional Kerala Congress. He later formed his own party Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) and had also associated with the National Democratic Alliance for a brief period.
He is likely to join the NDA again and might even campaign for the BJP in the coming Assembly by-poll for the Thrikkakkara seat, sources said.