A magistrate’s court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to Kerala Janapaksham (Secular) leader PC George in a hate speech case, Live Law reported. The court also allowed the police to arrest George.

The Kerala Police had submitted a plea to cancel the relief granted to George on May 1 by a lower court.

At an event organised under the aegis of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Thiruvananthapuram on April 29, George had asked the audience to avoid restaurants run by Muslims because they serve tea laced with a drug that causes impotence. This was done to turn non-Muslims infertile so that Muslims could “seize control” of the country, he had said.

George had also urged Hindu and Christian women to have more children.

The 70-year-old was arrested on April 30. In their case, the police alleged that his speech had promoted religious hatred. George was granted bail the next day on the condition that he would not interfere with the investigation, tamper with evidence or witnesses, or make more provocative speeches.

In their plea to have his bail cancelled, the Kerala Police contended that George had violated the bail conditions by again making objectionable remarks about Muslims in Ernakulam district’s Kochi city on May 8.

On May 10, the Kerala Police again booked him on charges of promoting enmity and outraging religious sentiments.

On May 21, the Ernakulam District and Sessions Court rejected George’s bail application in the second case, after which he approached the Kerala High Court. On May 23, the Kerala High Court granted him interim anticipatory bail in the second case.