Punjab’s viral ‘zombie drug’ video triggers row: The controversy explained
Former cricketer and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh faced backlash after sharing a video on Monday, claiming it depicted the poor state of Punjab's youth. Singh expressed sadness over the situation, stating that Punjab and its youth deserved better. He questioned successive governments' role in the drug crisis, saying the once prosperous Punjab had fallen to drugs.
The post went viral, with users speculating about the "zombie drug," a term commonly referring to xylazine, a veterinary sedative found in illicit drug supplies. However, Singh did not use this term in his post.
Punjab Police later disputed the video's origin, stating it was from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, not Punjab. They urged social media users to verify facts and locations before sharing such content. The police also pointed out that a Punjabi audio track does not make an incident a Punjab incident. This clarification led to criticism from AAP leaders, including national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who questioned the BJP's messaging and whether it was coordinated.
Punjab cabinet minister Baljit Kaur accused Singh of deliberately using a Rajasthan video to tarnish Punjab's image.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
