Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday granted PC George anticipatory bail till Thursday in the Vennala hate speech case.

It also ordered George, seven-time MLA of Poonjar constituency in Kottayam district, to refrain from making public statements during this time.

However, this bail does not negate the case registered against George by Kerala Police in Thiruvananthapuram in a similar case, the court said.

The court said it will take up Kerala Police's plea urging it to cancel the bail on Thursday.

The HC decision comes just days after Ernakulam District and Sessions Court dismissed George's bail plea in the Vennala hate speech case.

George had approached the High Court arguing that police registered the case against him without listening to the full speech and learning the context.

He also alleged that the LDF-government was heaping cases against him to score points in the upcoming Thrikkakara bypoll.

George made the controversial speech against a particular community during a function at the Vennala Thycaut Mahadeva Temple, which falls under Thikkakara constituency.

This is not the first time that PC George is making inflammatory statements. Of late, in his political speeches, George has been going hammer and tongs against minority communities.

In fact, his recent statements in Vennala here had come just weeks after he was arrested on May 1 for making similar inflammatory statements in the state capital.

Thiruvananthapuram Fort Police had registered a case against PC George.

George was granted conditional bail by a local court later.

He lost the 2021 Assembly elections from his home constituency Poonjar and one of the reasons cited for his electoral debacle was his scathing attack on minority communities.