In his address at the Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelan last Friday, former legislator P.C. George ramped up his rhetoric against the Muslim community – a tediously recurring characteristic of his public speeches of late.
The episode, which is the latest in the long list of controversies he has courted in his political life, is widely regarded as the continuation of a widening discord between him and a section of the Muslim electorate since Parliament elections of 2019.
Using more inflammatory language than many of far-right outfits, Mr. George has effectively fashioned a narrative linking Muslims to an uptick in conversion of Christian and Hindu girls and perceived strains on the social fabric of the State. His key themes - from love jihad to Islamic terrorism and rising crimes - have taken up more space in the public discourse of central Kerala in recent years.
