A social media post about drug abuse in Punjab has now turned into a political controversy after a viral video, initially presented as being from Punjab, was identified as actually belonging to Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. The episode has triggered a fresh debate over how quickly unverified content is converted into political ammunition on social media.
The controversy began after a video showing two young men apparently under the influence of drugs, staggering on a road, went viral. A Punjabi audio track playing in the background led several social media users to assume that the incident had taken place in Punjab.
Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared the video on social media while expressing deep concern over Punjab's drug problem. In an emotional post, he said Punjab appeared to have fallen victim to a “bad eye” and questioned the policies of successive governments, arguing that the state's youth were being pushed towards destruction.
However, the claim surrounding the video's location was soon challenged.
Punjab Police responded to the post and clarified that the video had no connection with Punjab or the Punjab Police. According to the police, verification established that the incident shown in the video was from Sri Ganganagar district in neighbouring Rajasthan.
The clarification also highlighted a larger problem in the age of social media: the presence of Punjabi language or music in a video cannot, by itself, establish where the incident took place.
The controversy took another political turn when AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal questioned the coordinated spread of the video. Reacting to the episode, Kejriwal wrote that several BJP leaders had allegedly spread the “lie” together the previous day and asked a pointed question: “Was the order from the PMO? Does the PMO spread lies in the country?”
His comments raise questions about whether misleading social media content is being deliberately amplified for political purposes, or whether political leaders are simply falling into the same misinformation cycle as ordinary users.
Beyond Punjab, A Lesson in Verification
Punjab Police's clarification serves as a reminder that social media claims require verification before being presented as facts. At the same time, Kejriwal's intervention has added another layer to the controversy—whether misinformation is merely being shared carelessly or is becoming part of a larger political narrative.
In an era where a viral video can shape public perception within hours, the responsibility to verify lies even more heavily on those with large political and public platforms.
