Published Apr 17, 2026 | 7:38 AM ⚊ Updated Apr 17, 2026 | 7:38 AM
Stand-up comedian Rafiq Mohammed.
Synopsis: Just days after arresting a stand-up comedian, the Andhra Pradesh Police took another comedian from Visakhapatnam into custody for making remarks on Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh. According to reports, Rafiq Mohammad was taken into custody by the Machilipatnam Police from his residence.
Just days after arresting a stand-up comedian, the Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday, 16 April, took another comedian from Visakhapatnam, Rafiq Mohammed, into custody for making remarks on Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
On 14 April, the Andhra Pradesh Police arrested stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh over remarks made on Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
Soon after the arrest of Anudeep, jokes made by Rafiq surfaced on social media, triggering backlash from Pawan Kalyan fans, which led to his detention by the police.
Also Read: Police arrest stand-up comedian Anudeep Katikala over remarks on Pawan Kalyan
According to reports, Rafiq was taken into custody by the Machilipatnam Police from his residence.
Reports also stated that personal information of Rafiq, including his phone number, was leaked on social media, leading to abuse from the fans of the deputy chief minister.
Anudeep was arrested after an FIR was registered on 11 April based on a complaint filed with Kakinada Police by a member of the Jana Sena Party. The complainant, identified as Bade Venkata Krishna, alleged that the comedian’s remarks were objectionable and targeted the personal lives of the actor-politician and his family.
The controversy stems from a video clip of Anudeep’s recent stand-up performance that went viral on social media. In the video, he made remarks about the personal lives of Pawan Kalyan and members of the Konidela family, including Niharika Konidela and Ram Charan. One of the most criticised lines included a comment about learning “how to divorce” from Pawan Kalyan, while another remark referred to Niharika Konidela in a similar vein.
The jokes triggered sharp backlash online, with several users accusing the comedian of crossing limits by targeting personal matters. Some also questioned the use of family-related issues as material for humour, calling it inappropriate.
