Bathinda Woman On Drugs Viral Video Sparks Political Row; Congress, SAD Target AAP

A viral video from Bathinda showing a young woman in intoxicated state has triggered a political row in Punjab. Congress and SAD criticised AAP government over Punjab's drug problem, while police said the woman was admitted to a de-addiction centre.

Image Credit : X/RavneetBittu

Bathinda viral video sparks fresh Punjab drug menace political row

A viral video showing a young woman appearing to be in an intoxicated state at Bathinda's grain market has triggered a fresh political row over Punjab’s long-running drug problem. Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, arguing that the visuals raise questions about claims of progress in the fight against drugs.

बठिंडा की दाना मंडी से आई तस्वीरों ने हर पंजाबी का कलेजा छलनी कर दिया है। जब हमारी बेटियां सरेआम नशे के दलदल में बर्बाद हो रही हों, तो यह सिर्फ प्रशासन की नाकामी नहीं, सरकार के ज़मीर का मरना है।@BhagwantMann जी, क्या यही है आपके ‘माताओं-बेटियों के सत्कार’ की ज़मीनी हक़ीक़त?… pic.twitter.com/9ubLaFvhii

— Ravneet Singh Bittu (@RavneetBittu) October 2, 2026

The video widely circulated on social media, with many politicians condemning the serious drug crisis in Punjab. BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu's post on X loosely translated to: "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."

Bathinda video puts AAP under pressure

The video, which circulated widely on social media, shows the woman behaving erratically in a public place and apparently struggling to maintain her balance. In some frames, she appears to fall before getting back up.

Bathinda Police said the woman was admitted to a government-run de-addiction centre on Thursday. Police identified her as a resident of Jaito in Faridkot district and said her family had been informed. Her mother has also reached the centre, according to police. Police said further action was being taken in the case after the intervention.

Police have not publicly established what substance, if any, the woman had consumed. Online references to a so-called “zombie drug” should therefore be treated cautiously.

Image Credit : ANI

Congress attacks Bhagwant Mann government

Punjab Congress said the Bathinda visuals exposed what it described as a gap between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s claims and the situation on the ground. The party referred to the government’s “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign and questioned its effectiveness.

Punjab Congress in-charge Sachin Pilot also cited the Bathinda video while criticising the state government over its handling of wider public issues. He said such incidents should not be dismissed as isolated cases and accused the AAP government of failing to address problems on the ground.

The Congress remarks are political criticism rather than an independent assessment of the effectiveness of Punjab’s anti-drug measures.

Image Credit : X/RavneetBittu

Sukhbir Badal also shares video, targets AAP

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal also shared the Bathinda video on X and used it to attack the Mann government. He said the condition of the young woman was a reminder of the scale of the drug problem and questioned whether Punjab’s youth were being adequately protected.

Badal also referred to the government’s “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” campaign, arguing that slogans and publicity had not stopped drugs from affecting young people.

Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal separately criticised the AAP government and referred to earlier claims about eliminating drugs from Punjab within a short period. Her remarks added to the opposition attack following the circulation of the video.

Image Credit : X/RavneetBittu

Punjab drug issue becomes major political flashpoint

The Bathinda episode comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made drugs the central theme of the BJP’s campaign in Punjab. At a rally in Jalandhar on September 30, Shah accused the AAP government of allowing the trade in “chitta”, a common term for synthetic drugs, to flourish.

Shah said that if the BJP came to power in Punjab after the 2027 Assembly election, it would make the state free of the trade in 'chitta' by December 31, 2029. He also said the BJP’s 'Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra' had covered all 117 Assembly constituencies.

Image Credit : X/RavneetBittu

AAP hits back over major drug seizure

The AAP responded by pointing to a separate drug seizure at sea. The party cited the seizure of 526 kg of heroin and methamphetamine, valued at more than Rs 3,000 crore, in a joint operation involving the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad, Indian Coast Guard and central intelligence agencies.

AAP used the operation to question the Centre’s focus on Punjab and argued that drug trafficking is an interstate and national problem.

The party has also claimed that Punjab Police have disrupted supply networks and that some pharmaceutical drugs seized in the state originate outside Punjab. These are claims made by AAP and should be distinguished from independently established findings.

BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu also entered the political debate on Wednesday, criticising both Congress and AAP over the drug issue. He backed Shah’s 2029 deadline and said neither Congress nor AAP had done enough to tackle the problem.

What the Bathinda video establishes

The immediate facts around the Bathinda incident remain limited. Police have confirmed that the woman was taken to a government de-addiction centre and that she is from Faridkot district. The video shows her in a visibly distressed and apparently impaired state.

It does not, however, establish which substance she may have consumed, whether she was dependent on drugs, or how she came to be in that condition.

The incident has nevertheless become another flashpoint in Punjab’s election-year debate over drugs. With the 2027 Assembly election approaching, AAP’s anti-drug record, opposition criticism and competing promises from rival parties are likely to remain central to the political discussion.

(With inputs from agencies)