Punjab has once again been caught in a controversy over the portrayal of its drug problem after former Union minister and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu shared a video on his social media accounts showing a young man allegedly under the influence of drugs.However, the Punjab Police have claimed that the viral video is fake and said the youth allegedly staged the act to gain popularity on social media.The police said that sharing such unverified videos can portray a misleading picture of the state, particularly ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.A video has been circulating on Bittu’s social media accounts for the past 48 hours. It purportedly shows a Sikh youth in an allegedly drugged or “stoned” state in the Dugri area of Ludhiana.Sharing the video on Instagram, Bittu wrote: “Bhagwant Mann Ujarta Punjab”, “Rangla Punjab Exposed” and “Save Punjab Youth”. The post has received likes and comments from users.ਭਗਵੰਤ ਮਾਨ ਉਜਾੜ ‘ਤਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਤੈਂ।#BhagwantMannUjaartaPunjab#DrugsInPunjab#SavePunjabYouth#RanglaPunjabExposed@BJP4India @BJP4Punjab @BJPCentralMedia pic.twitter.com/NGy471t1Mg— Ravneet Singh Bittu (@RavneetBittu) September 2, 2026Police say youth staged video for social media viewsAccording to the police, the youth was later traced and caught in the Model Town area after the video went viral.Assistant Commissioner of Police S.S. Cheema told The Tribune that the youth is around 30 years old and had previously been addicted to drugs but had stopped consuming “chitta” a long time ago.“The youth admitted to us that he made the video along with his friend to gain popularity on social media. He made trolls and videos earlier also to get views. When this video was made, he had not taken any drugs,” ACP Cheema said.The officer added that the police were getting the youth medically examined to establish whether he had consumed any drugs when the video was recorded.“We are in the process of getting his medical tests done to know the truth and after getting the report, action will be taken as per law,” Cheema said.Bittu faces questions over unverified videoThe incident has raised questions over the sharing of videos depicting drug use without verifying their authenticity.The police maintained that such posts can create a misleading impression about the drug situation in Punjab.The controversy has also led to discussion within BJP circles about Bittu’s political visibility in Punjab after he ceased to be the Union Minister of State for Railways.Bittu could not be contacted for his comments despite repeated attempts.Similar controversy over drug videoThis is not the first time a video shared by Bittu has faced questions over its authenticity.Earlier, a similar video of a youth from Ludhiana was shared by Bittu, but police later claimed that it was an old video and that the person shown had already been arrested.In another instance, MP and singer Harbhajan Singh Mann shared a video of a youth purportedly showing the deteriorating drug situation in Punjab. The video was later found to have been recorded in Rajasthan, according to the report.The latest controversy has once again brought the issue of drug addiction in Punjab into focus, while the police’s claim that the latest video was staged is awaiting confirmation through the medical examination