- Video of intoxicated woman in Bathinda sparks drug debate.
- Opposition parties criticize AAP government over Punjab drug menace.
- SAD, BJP, Congress slam govt's 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' failure.
Punjab Drug Menace:A video from Punjab's Bathinda showing a young woman in an allegedly intoxicated condition took centre stage in a political debate over the drug menace in the poll-bound Punjab on Friday. The opposition parties - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) - shared the video to attack the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government, reviving the "zombie" drug abuse in the state. The Daily Jagran could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
SAD Says Govt Failed To Protest Youth
SAD chief and former deputy chief minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal, shared the video, asking, "Our daughters are Punjab's future, strength and pride, and if they are not safe from the drug menace, how will Punjab’s future be secured?"
"Our daughters are Punjab’s future, strength and pride. If they are not safe from the drug menace, how will we secure Punjab’s future? The visuals coming from Bathinda grain market have shaken the conscience of Punjab. A young girl in such a pathetic condition, completely doped and behaving in a strange manner in a public place, is a horrifying reminder of how deeply the drug menace has penetrated our society," Badal said in X post.
"Guru-Dokhi @BhagwantMann’s government has failed to protect our youth. Despite all the slogans and publicity around Yudh Nashian Virudh, drugs continue to destroy lives, and now even our daughters are being swallowed by this menace. Punjab needs freedom from drugs, not a government high on its own publicity," his post read further.
'Stop The Photo-Ops And Act: BJP's Bittu Slams AAP Govt
BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu also shared the video on X to attack the AAP government. "The photos from Bathinda's grain market have pierced the heart of every Punjabi. When our daughters are being openly ruined in the swamp of addiction, this is not just the administration's failure—it's the death of the government's conscience.
The haunting visuals from Bathinda’s grain market expose the stark gap between Bhagwant Mann’s claims and Punjab’s reality. While he holds an event in Ludhiana and declares Punjab “drug-free”, these images tell a very different story. The much-hyped “Yudh Nashian Virudh” has… pic.twitter.com/VKtFrC5h1i
— Punjab Congress (@INCPunjab) October 2, 2026
"@BhagwantMann ji, is this the ground reality of your ‘honour for mothers and daughters’? Those who sought votes in the name of daughters during elections—today, Punjab's daughters are being sacrificed to drugs, while your government revels only in advertisements. Stop the photo shoots and face the ground reality! Heartbreaking visuals from Bathinda expose the grim reality of Punjab. Is this your ‘respect for mothers and daughters’, @BhagwantMann? While our youth are destroyed by narcotics in broad daylight, your government is busy with hollow PR. Stop the photo-ops and act," his post read.
Stark Gap Between Mann's Claims And Punjab's Reality: Congress
Punjab Congress also did not miss the opportunity to attack the government ahead of the assembly elections.
The grand old party's Punjab unit shared the video on X, writing, "The haunting visuals from Bathinda’s grain market expose the stark gap between Bhagwant Mann’s claims and Punjab’s reality. While he holds an event in Ludhiana and declares Punjab “drug-free”, these images tell a very different story. The much-hyped “Yudh Nashian Virudh” has clearly failed. Punjab is being run from Delhi, with Bhagwant Mann reduced to a puppet of Delhi’s leadership. When the government is controlled from Delhi, Punjab’s problems will never be its priority. #FailBhagwantMann."