Rajya Sabha MP and former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday, 11 August escalated his public confrontation with the Punjab government over the state's worsening drug addiction crisis, posting fresh videos and photographs on his social media accounts to back his earlier claims. The move deepens a bitter war of claims and counterclaims between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government and its critics over the scale of drug abuse among Punjab's youth.

Harbhajan's Direct Challenge to the Government

In one video posted on X, Harbhajan posed pointed questions to the state administration. 'Is this also a picture of Rajasthan? The discussion is about Punjab's drug problem. This issue won't be hidden by your paid trolls. Work will have to be done on this,' he said. The former cricketer added that the issue was not about targeting any individual but about freeing every person in Punjab — and across the country — from the grip of narcotics. 'Without pulling each other's legs, the Punjab government should work on how to make Punjab drug-free,' he said.

A day earlier, Harbhajan had posted an emotional appeal: 'The evil eye has struck, my friend, on our Punjab... The governments have ruined Punjab and its Punjabi youth. It makes me want to cry seeing all this. Forgive my Punjab... There's still time — save my Punjab. Save Punjab's youth.'

BJP Amplifies the Attack

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Punjab unit joined the chorus, writing on X: 'The scourge of drugs in Punjab is increasing day by day; videos of youth swaying under the influence of drugs keep coming to the fore every other day. Does the Punjab Police have any answer regarding this?' Harbhajan also retweeted a post by Punjabi journalist Parmeet Bidowali, who shared multiple videos purportedly showing young people under the influence of drugs across Punjab cities in the past 48 hours, challenging the government to respond.

Last week, state BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, citing a state Assembly Committee report, claimed that more than 65 per cent of Punjab's youth are in the grip of drugs. He said the report exposed the hollowness of the government's 'drug-free Punjab' campaign. According to the report, the 18–35 age group is the worst affected. Dhillon further noted that consumption of the de-addiction medicine Buprenorphine had risen by 57 per cent over the past four years, while civil hospitals face a severe shortage of treatment beds.

Dhillon also recalled that Arvind Kejriwal had promised to eradicate drugs within three months of the AAP forming the government in Punjab. Four and a half years on, he argued, the situation has deteriorated further — with de-addiction tablet consumption reportedly rising from around 700 million to nearly 1.1 billion.

Government Fires Back at Harbhajan

Punjab Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema dismissed Harbhajan's campaign, accusing him of sharing a video from Rajasthan and falsely linking it to Punjab. Cheema said the MP, who was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the AAP to represent Punjab's interests, was instead amplifying BJP propaganda. 'Harbhajan Singh should have used his platform to encourage Punjab's youngsters to take up sports and raise issues concerning their future, rather than sharing misleading content that tarnishes the image of Punjab,' Cheema told reporters in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

What the Data Says

The Assembly Committee report cited by the BJP presents a sobering picture: youth drug abuse in Punjab is not only widespread but the state's treatment infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. The 57 per cent jump in Buprenorphine consumption over four years, combined with a shortage of de-addiction beds in public hospitals, suggests that demand for rehabilitation is outstripping supply. Critics argue this directly contradicts the government's claims of progress in its anti-drug drive. The government has not yet publicly contested these specific figures.

What Comes Next

The public spat shows no signs of cooling. With the Assembly Committee report now in the political arena and opposition voices — including a high-profile former cricketer — keeping the issue in the national spotlight, the AAP government faces mounting pressure to present verifiable data on its anti-drug outcomes. How Punjab responds to the committee's findings could shape the political narrative around the state ahead of future electoral cycles.