The Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday detained Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party Media General Secretary Pudi Srihari for social media posts about Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, PTI reported.

The police alleged that Srihari had shared posts that contained “strong language and visuals”, which were allegedly violent and “inflammatory”, NDTV reported.

The posts could disturb public order, the news outlet quoted the police as having alleged.

The YSR Congress Party condemned the detention of Srihari, describing it as an “illegal arrest”.

In a social media post by the party, Tirupati MP M Gurumoorthy accused the police of “illegitimately” seizing Srihari’s mobile phones and laptop during the “illegal arrest”.

The police confirmed that Srihari’s electronic devices were seized, adding that he will be produced before the court, The Hindu reported.

“The ruling TDP [Telugu Desam Party] is making a mockery of democracy by enforcing the ‘red book constitution’ to book illegal and false cases on the YSRCP functionaries and leaders in the state of Andhra Pradesh,” the party quoted Gurumoorthy as having alleged.

He said that the party “will knock on the judiciary to fight for justice and to expose the undemocratic practices of the ruling coalition”.

Stand-up comic detained for joke about Andhra deputy CM

In a separate case, stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala was detained by the Andhra Pradesh Police on Tuesday in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj for his jokes about Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, The Indian Express reported.

Katikala, a resident of Hyderabad, was in Prayagraj to visit his parents who live there, when he was arrested.

The police in Kakinada said that the comedian was arrested in a case filed based on a complaint by Jana Sena Party leader B Venkata Krishna who accused Katikala of “spreading false information through social media to disrupt peace and order, inciting enmity and creating pandemonium”, The News Minute reported.

Kalyan, an actor-turned-politician, is the chief of the Jana Sena Party.

The comedian has faced threats of physical violence from Kalyan’s supporters over a clip he recently posted of his stand-up performance where he joked about Tollywood actors and fan culture.

Katikala faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to defamation, statements containing false information, spreading rumours or alarming news with the intent to promote enmity between different groups and insulting the modesty of a woman.

He is also accused of publishing obscene material in electronic form under the Information Technology Act.