'Video Is From Rajasthan': Punjab Police Claim Harbhajan Singh's Viral 'Addiction' Post Misleading, Urge Users To Verify Before Posting

Former India cricketer and Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh has landed in a controversy after sharing a viral video that he presented as an example of the drug crisis affecting Punjab’s youth. The video showed two men appearing to behave erratically, prompting comparisons with the so-called “zombie” effect associated with drug abuse. However, Punjab Police later clarified that the footage was not from Punjab but from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan.

Harbhajan shared the video on X while expressing anguish over the alleged impact of addiction on Punjab. He criticised successive governments for what he described as the deterioration of the state and its younger generation, urging people to act before it was too late. He also appealed to people to “save Punjab” and its youth from addiction.

The post soon attracted attention, with the location of the viral clip coming under scrutiny. Punjab Police responded directly to Harbhajan’s post and said the video had actually been recorded in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The police stressed that the footage had no connection with Punjab Police or an incident in Punjab.

Punjab Police also cautioned social media users against assuming the location of an incident simply because a video contains Punjabi audio. “A Punjabi audio track does not make an incident a Punjab incident,” the police said while urging users and social media accounts to verify both the facts and location before sharing such material.

The episode has consequently sparked a wider debate over the responsibility of public figures when sharing viral content online. While the issue of drug addiction remains a serious concern and a politically sensitive subject in Punjab, the police clarification highlighted how videos circulated on social media can be stripped of their original context and attributed to another location.