The Syro Malabar Church has come out in support of senior BJP leader PC George after widespread complaints against his speech made at an event organised by the KCBC Temperance Commission in Pala on Sunday.

The Syro-Malabar Church Public Affairs Commission said there is truth in what the BJP leader said about the drug menace, love traps, and terrorist activities in the state.

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The public affairs commission that operates under the Syro Malabar Church on Wednesday said there was basis for what George has said about the spread of drug addiction, love traps, and terrorist activities. Creating controversies on it and trying to interpret it in religious terms is condemnable, the public affairs commission of the church said.

“There is constant news about drug addiction, love traps and the tragedies caused by them. A young man who was freed from drug addiction had recently revealed in an interview with a leading news channel that love traps exist. In addition, the situation of finding a large stockpile of explosives and weapons in the state is also worrying. The international links of these make the situation more serious,” the public affairs commission said.

The Syro Malabar church further said that everyone should adopt positions that protect the internal security of the nation and the peaceful life of citizens without justifying terrorist activities in the name of religion or politics.

The Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission also requested the Central and state governments to conduct a high-level investigation into the issues raised by George, ensuring the privacy and security of the victims and their families.

PC George, the other day, once again stirred a controversy by urging Christian families to marry off their daughters before they reach the age of 24, so that they can prevent the threat of “love jihad”. Speaking at an event organised by the KCBC Temperance Commission in Pala on Sunday, he urged Christian families to marry off their daughters before they reach the age of 24. He claimed this would help prevent them from falling victim to what he described as the growing threat of ‘love jihad’.

He alleged that nearly 400 girls from Meenachil taluk had fallen prey to love jihad, of which only 41 could be brought back.

Meanwhile, Indian Union Muslim League legislator A K M Ashraf on Wednesday raised in the Assembly the issue of alleged communal remarks by BJP leader P C George, asking why the state government was not taking action against him.

Ashraf further asked why the police could not arrest George for violating his bail conditions and pointed out that the Karnataka government has set an example by jailing persons who make communal statements.

Two weeks ago, George was arrested for delivering a hate speech against a minority community during a TV channel discussion. George, who had been sent to judicial remand in connection with the case, was granted bail on February 28.