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The Erattupetta Judicial First Class Magistrate Court has ordered the 14-day police remand of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader PC George, following a judicial review of his medical condition.
Consequently, he was transferred to Kottayam Medical College for a comprehensive health evaluation.
George’s legal predicament stems from allegations of hate speech, prompting his voluntary surrender before the Erattupetta court after the Kerala High Court denied his anticipatory bail plea.
The charges originate from remarks he made during a televised debate in January, which were deemed incendiary and led to a formal complaint filed by a Muslim Youth League representative.
During the debate, George stated, “I am sitting in Erattupetta and saying this. Out of the 40,000 population here, 38,600 are Muslims. There are no such communal forces without any conscience like you anywhere in this world. Do you have a conscience? Do you have a soft approach towards people from other religious groups? You should learn about the diversity we show. Are we saying that any Muslims should be killed? If you are a Muslim, then you are communal. It’s become like that. You don’t want India but Pakistan. Go to Pakistan.”
As a result, the Erattupetta police initiated legal proceedings against George under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Kerala Police Act, specifically citing Sections BNS 196(1)(a), 299, and 120(o).
Efforts to detain George at his residence in Poonjar near Erattupetta were initially unsuccessful, as he was not present at the time.
Prior to this, he had formally requested a two-day period to voluntarily appear before the judiciary. A procedural inconsistency in the police custody application led the court to initially remand him until 6 PM, after which law enforcement was directed to rectify and resubmit the application in accordance with legal protocols.
In response to the controversy, George later issued a public statement via Facebook, retracting his earlier assertion that “all Muslims in India are terrorists.” He expressed regret for his remarks and extended an apology to members of the Muslim community who, he acknowledged, are dedicated citizens.
However, he reaffirmed his stance regarding a “small percentage” of individuals whom he alleged harbor extremist, anti-national ideologies. “I will always strongly oppose them and all those who silently support them,” he reiterated.
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