Stand-up comedian, Nathasha Edirisooriya, who drew widespread criticism in the country for allegedly making derogatory remarks about religions, was arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

According to the police, she was taken into custody at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake on Sunday night while attempting to fly out of the country.

The CID received a complaint against Edirisooriya for allegedly insulting religions, including Buddhism, and Christianity during a stand-up comedy show.

She later shared a video and publicly apologised for the statements made.

Sri Lanka's religious affairs minister said that the country is drafting new legislation to control the incidents of religious slander and online virulence.

Sri Lanka's Minister of Buddhashasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka, on Sunday, said that legislation would be soon passed to control the growing incidents of religious slander in the country.

"This will stop all incidents of demeaning religion on social media," he claimed.

Earlier this month, Pastor Jerome Fernando, a self-styled Godman, was condemned for making disparaging remarks about Lord Buddha, the video of which went viral on social media.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed the Criminal Investigation Department to launch a probe into the matter, asserting that such statements could create religious conflicts in the country.

Fernando also released a public apology before fleeing to Singapore.

He then filed a fundamental rights petition to block his impending arrest.

In January, famous YouTuber Sepal Amarasinghe was sent to police custody for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the Sacred Tooth relic of Lord Buddha.

Sri Lanka's population, which roughly comprises 22 million, approximately 74 per cent are Buddhists. Sri Lanka's Constitution, while also respecting other communities and their rights, concedes Buddhism as the "foremost place" among the country's religious faiths.