Ludhiana: BJP leader and former Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu has come under criticism after sharing a video on his social media accounts that purportedly showed a young Sikh man in an intoxicated state.
The video, which has been circulating on social media for the past two days, was reportedly filmed in Ludhiana’s Dugri area. Bittu shared it on Instagram with captions including “Bhagwant Mann destroying Punjab”, “Rangla Punjab exposed” and “Save Punjab Youth”, highlighting the issue of drug abuse in the state.
However, police have claimed that the video was staged and not a genuine depiction of a youth under the influence of drugs. According to police, the man told investigators that he had created the video with a friend to gain popularity and attract views on social media.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) S.S. Cheema told media that the man, aged around 30, had previously been addicted to drugs but had stopped using “chitta” a long time ago.
“He admitted that he made the video with his friend to gain popularity on social media. He had made similar videos and pranks earlier to attract views. He said he had not consumed any drugs when this video was recorded,” Cheema said.
The ACP added that police were arranging medical tests to establish the facts and that further action would be taken according to the law once the reports are received.
Previous videos also questioned
This is not the first time Bittu has shared a video related to drug abuse that was later questioned by police. In an earlier case, he posted a video of a Ludhiana youth purportedly showing drug use, but police said it was an old video and that the person had already been arrested.
Separately, MP Harbhajan Singh also shared a video highlighting the alleged worsening drug situation in Punjab. Police later found that the video was actually from Rajasthan.
The repeated circulation of such videos has raised questions over the verification of social media content before it is shared by political leaders, particularly amid Punjab’s preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections.
Bittu could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.
