BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Harbhajan Singh got here throughout a video displaying two turbaned males apparently behaving erratically on a roadside, purportedly beneath the affect of a “zombie drug”. Assuming the footage was from Punjab, Singh shared it on social media, expressing anguish over what he described because the deteriorating drug state of affairs within the state.
Nevertheless, the video was later recognized as being from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, a BJP-ruled state, triggering a pointy backlash from the Punjab authorities and social media customers.
Harbhajan Singh shared the video on X and expressed concern over the alleged unfold of drug habit amongst Punjab’s youth. He mentioned the state’s younger individuals have been “besieged by addictions” and urged individuals to “save Punjab’s youth”.
“The evil eye has struck, my good friend, on our Punjab,” Singh mentioned in his put up, alleging that successive governments had “ruined Punjab and its Punjabi youth”.
The put up quickly got here beneath scrutiny, with customers mentioning that the footage was not from Punjab. Punjab Police subsequently issued a fact-check, clarifying that the video was filmed in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
“The video being circulated is from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan—not Punjab—and has no reference to Punjab Police. A Punjabi audio monitor doesn’t make an incident a Punjab incident,” Punjab Police mentioned on X whereas resharing Singh’s put up.
Harbhajan’s put up drew a powerful response from the Punjab authorities. Cupboard Minister Baljit Kaur accused the BJP MP of intentionally sharing footage from one other state to painting Punjab in a detrimental mild.
“Have a look at the desperation to please his political bosses. He’s sharing a video from Rajasthan and mendacity that it’s from Punjab,” Kaur mentioned in a put up on X. She accused Singh of performing within the BJP’s political pursuits and mentioned Punjabis wouldn’t forgive him for damaging the state’s picture.
One other Punjab minister, Harbhajan Singh ETO, additionally attacked the previous cricketer, accusing the BJP of utilizing misinformation to focus on Punjab.
“That is the BJP’s customary modus operandi: manufacture lies and use sell-outs like Harbhajan to consistently defame Punjab. This video is from Rajasthan, however he lies to damage the picture of the state that gave him his whole profession. Punjabis see proper by means of this soiled propaganda,” the AAP minister mentioned.
The time period “zombie drug” is often used to explain xylazine, a veterinary sedative that has more and more been present in illicit drug provides. Typically referred to on the road as “tranq” or “tranq dope”, xylazine is steadily combined with different medicine together with cocaine.
Nevertheless, movies displaying individuals behaving unusually, showing disoriented or remaining immobile are sometimes swiftly attributed to “zombie medicine” with out proof. Authorities have repeatedly cautioned that such appearances alone don’t set up that an individual is beneath the affect of xylazine or one other illicit substance.
In an earlier case in Bengaluru, as an illustration, police discovered {that a} viral video attributed to a “zombie drug” was truly linked to a person’s medical situation and the consequences of alcohol consumed with medicine.
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