Punjab’s viral ‘zombie drug’ video triggers row – the controversy explained

​Pu jab
Police
fact-checks
video
sha ed
by
BJP
MP

NEW
DELHI:
BJP
Rajya
Sabha
MP
a d
fo me
c ickete
Ha bhaja
Si gh
came
u de
fi e
afte
he
sha ed
a
video
of
two
appa e tly
i toxicated
me
o
Mo day,
claimi g
it
showed
the
so y
state
of
Pu jab’s
youth.
Pu jab
Police
a d
AAP
leade s
late
said
the
footage
was
actually
f om
Rajastha .“ve y
sad
to
see
the
situatio
of
Pu jab,”
Si gh
w ote
o
Mo day
ight.“Pu jab
a d
its
youth
dese ve
bette .
This
issue
eeds
ho esty,
accou tability,
a d
u ge t
actio
–
ot
de ial,”
he
added.

I
a
lo ge
message
accompa yi g
the
video,
Si gh
questio ed
successive
gove me ts
ove
the
d ug
situatio
i
Pu jab.“What
have
the
gove me ts
do e
to
Pu jab
a d
its
Pu jabi
youth?
Whe e
have
they
b ought
Pu jab
to?
The
Pu jab
that
was
o ce
k ow
fo
its
high
spi its,
cou age
a d
b ave y,
today
that
same
Pu jab’s
youth
has
bee
e gulfed
by
d ugs.
The e
is
still
time
–
save
my
Pu jab,”
he
said.Si gh
had
quit
the
AAP
a d
joi ed
the
BJP
i
Ap il.The
post
quickly
d ew
c iticism
f om
AAP
leade s,
who
accused
Si gh
of
usi g
a
video
f om
a othe
state
to
po t ay
Pu jab
i
a
egative
light.

What
is
the
‘zombie
d ug’?

“Zombie
d ug”
commo ly
efe s
to
xylazi e,
a
vete i a y
sedative
fou d
i
illicit
d ug
supplies
a d
also
k ow
as
“t a q”
o
“t a q
dope”.
The
video
we t
vi al
o
social
media,
with
use s
claimi g
the
two
me
appea ed
to
be
u de
the
i flue ce
of
d ugs,
i cludi g
what
was
desc ibed
as
a
“zombie
d ug”.

Howeve ,
Si gh
did
ot
use
the
te m
i
his
post
while
sha i g
the
clip.

Pu jab
Police
fact-checks
video

The
claim
was
challe ged
by
Pu jab
Police,
which
said
the
video
was
ot
f om
Pu jab
but
f om
S i
Ga ga aga
i
Rajastha .“The
video
bei g
ci culated
is
f om
S i
Ga ga aga ,
Rajastha
–
ot
Pu jab,”
Pu jab
Police
said
i
a
post
o
X.The
police
u ged
social
media
use s
to
ve ify
the
locatio
a d
facts
befo e
sha i g
such
mate ial.

“We
u ge
use s
a d
social
media
accou ts
to
ve ify
the
facts
a d
locatio
befo e
posti g
misleadi g
co te t
o
taggi g
Pu jab
Police.
Respo sible
sha i g
matte s.
@ha bhaja _si gh,”
it
said.Pu jab
Police
also
add essed
the
Pu jabi
audio
accompa yi g
the
clip,
sayi g,
“A
Pu jabi
audio
t ack
does
ot
make
a
i cide t
a
Pu jab
i cide t.”

AAP
hits
back
at
BJP
MP

The
police
cla ificatio
p ompted
sha p
c iticism
f om
AAP
leade s.AAP
atio al
co ve o
A vi d
Kej iwal
questio ed
whethe
the
BJP’s
messagi g
was
coo di ated.“Ma y
BJP
people
sp ead
this
lie
togethe
yeste day.
Did
the
o de
come
f om
the
PMO?
Does
the
PMO
sp ead
lies
i
the
cou t y?”
Kej iwal
said.Pu jab
cabi et
mi iste
Baljit
Kau
accused
Si gh
of
delibe ately
sha i g
footage
f om
Rajastha
to
po t ay
Pu jab
egatively.“Look
at
the
despe atio
to
please
his
political
bosses.
He
is
sha i g
a
video
f om
Rajastha
a d
lyi g
that
it
is
f om
Pu jab.

“You
will
do
a ythi g
fo
‘BJP
ki
dalali’,
eve
if
it
mea s
ui i g
Pu jab’s
image.
The
people
of
Pu jab
will
eve
fo give
you
fo
this,”
she
said
o
X.Pu jab
cabi et
mi iste
Ha bhaja
Si gh
ETO
also
attacked
the
BJP
MP,
allegi g
that
the
pa ty
uses
misi fo matio
to
ta get
Pu jab.“This
is
the
BJP’s
sta da d
modus
ope a di:
ma ufactu e
lies
a d
use
sell-outs
like
Ha bhaja
to
co sta tly
defame
Pu jab.
This
video
is
f om
Rajastha ,
but
he
lies
to
ui
the
image
of
the
state
that
gave
him
his
e ti e
ca ee .
Pu jabis
see
ight
th ough
this
di ty
p opaga da,”
he
said.

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