Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
Pankaj Menon
Claim
Congress leader PC George alleges that Muslim-run restaurants are using impotence pills.
Fact
The video is from 2022. PC George quit the Kerala Congress party in 2015. He later floated his own party in Kerala Janapaksham Secular which was merged with the BJP in January 2024.
A 2.06 minute long video is going viral on social media platforms claiming to show ‘Congress leader PC George’ alleging that Muslim-run restaurants are using impotence pills in their food.
The post, shared by X handle@jpsin1, has 761 likes and 1.2 K shares and has an engagement of 26.4 K.
Several other social media users also shared the same post with the same claim.
Such posts can be seen here, here and here.
However, Newschecker found that the video dates back to 2022 and the leader made the statement years after he quit the Kerala Congress in 2015.
Fact Check/Verification
On a keyword search using the words from the viral claim, we found that such posts were in circulation since May 2022.
We also noticed a Malayalam banner in the background carrying the title “Hindu Mahasamellanam 2022”. On conducting another Google search with the keywords “PC George” “Hindu Mahasamellanam” and “Impotence pill” in Malayalam, we were led to a news report from News 18 Malayalam dated April 30,2022 detailing the incident.
The report says, “A former MSF leader filed a complaint with the DGP against former MLA PC George for his communal speech. The complaint was filed by PP Shaijal, former state vice president of MSF. According to the complaint, the former MLA PC George, who spoke at the inauguration of the ‘Ananthapuri Hindu Maha Sammelanam’ organised by the Hindu Maha Parishad in Thiruvananthapuram, racially abused the Muslim community throughout the speech and deliberately tried to create communal strife. “Practising Muslims knowingly mix sterilising drugs in drinks. Muslims are trying to increase their population and make this a Muslim country. Muslim priests spitting on food three times and distributing it, etc are some of the remarks made by Mr Gerge. PC George made very serious false allegations throughout the speech,” the complaint said.
We also found a two minute long video posted by Thoufeeq Pokkakkillath Ismail on his Facebook page on May 1, 2022. One minute and 19 seconds into the video, PC George can be heard saying,”Practising Muslims knowingly mix sterilising drugs in drinks. Muslims are trying to increase their population and make this a Muslim country.”
Is PC George With The Congress?
PC George is a seven-time MLA of the Poonjar constituency in the Kottayam district of Kerala state from 1982-87 and 1996-2021 which he last represented from 2016-2021. Out of the six terms he served as MLA, George was elected from different factions of the Kerala Congress.
But in the 2016 assembly elections, he stood as an Independent and was able to defeat both the LDF and UDF candidates by a margin of 27,000 votes. In the 2021 assembly elections, he lost to LDF candidate Sebastian Kulathunkal by 16,000 votes. He also served as the chief whip of the Congress-led UDF government from 2011 to 2015 as a member of the Kerala Congress (M).
In February 2017, the lone independent MLA in the state Assembly, PC George floated a new party, Kerala Janapaksham. In April 2019, the seven-time legislator’s Kerala Janapaksham Secular became the newest constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in Kerala. He did not enter into alliances with either the Congress or the CPM since, as is evident from various news reports.
Later, PC George merged his party with the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in February 2024.
On February 28,2024, he also shared a picture of him officially joining the BJP at the valedictory function of NDA’s Kerala Padayatra at Central Stadium,Thiruvananthapuram.
Also Read: Old Video From Telangana Shared As Rajputs Attacking BJP Workers In Gujarat
Conclusion
We could thus conclude that a video of P C George from 2022 who is with the BJP now was being shared to claim that he made communal remarks targeting Muslims as a Congress leader. The remarks were made in 2022, after he formed his own party, the Kerala Janapaksham Secular.
Result: False
Sources
Facebook post by Rama Sharma dated May 1,2022
Report by News 18, Malayalam dated April 30,2022
Facebook post by Thoufeeq Pokkakkillath Ismail dated May 1,2022
Report by Times of India dated February 22, 2017
Report by Business Standard dated April 10 2019
Report by Deccan Herald dated January 31,2024
Facebook post by P C George dated February 28,2024
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Authors
Sabloo Thomas has worked as a special correspondent with the Deccan Chronicle from 2011 to December 2019. Post-Deccan Chronicle, he freelanced for various websites and worked in the capacity of a translator as well (English to Malayalam and Malayalam to English). He’s also worked with the New Indian Express as a reporter, senior reporter, and principal correspondent. He joined Express in 2001.
