The arrest of BJP leader PC George on Monday was hardly surprising. His anticipatory bail application had already been rejected, first by a lower court and then by the Kerala High Court. His crime? Yet another instance of incendiary rhetoric, this time during a television discussion, where he audaciously equated Muslims with terrorists and suggested they relocate to Pakistan.
This was not his first brush with controversy. His history of anti-Muslim remarks is well-documented, and his latest outburst was just another chapter in a long saga of communal vitriol. The High Court denied him bail, recognising that he had already broken a previous promise to refrain from such divisive speech.
In this case, too, he attempted a feeble defence, dismissing his remarks as a mere “slip of the tongue” and seeking pardon. But those who watched the broadcast knew better. His words were not the product of a momentary lapse but a deliberate, clear, and unapologetic attack. For those familiar with George’s trajectory, his descent into communal politics has been anything but accidental.
Once a member of the Kerala Congress, he spent decades in electoral politics, winning assembly seats multiple times. Yet, his highest position was that of Chief Whip. His political ambitions far outstripped his achievements. The turning point came when he realised that the Muslim community in his constituency had largely voted against him. That rejection, instead of prompting self-reflection, fuelled his increasingly hostile rhetoric.
His affiliation with the BJP only emboldened him further. Even within the party, his induction was not met with open arms. But once inside, he believed he had been granted an unchecked licence to spew Islamophobic rhetoric. Yet, George is merely a symptom of a much more severe disease. Hate speech is not the domain of a single individual but a growing trend in Indian politics and public discourse.
YouTube is filled with venomous rants against religious minorities. Even respected religious figures, including a Shankaracharya, have made shocking calls for violence. One such leader openly declared his intention to visit three Christian-majority villages in Chhattisgarh on March 1 for an ethnic cleansing mission. Had the authorities taken their constitutional duties seriously, such individuals would be behind bars by now.
The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to free speech, but it also upholds the fundamental right of every Indian to practice his or her faith without fear. Selective outrage and political convenience cannot dictate the enforcement of this principle. Hate speech, regardless of its source, has no place in a secular democracy. The law must act swiftly and decisively; men like PC George should not just be condemned; they should be held accountable.
