Trump's war policies driving Indians to drink: BJP leader's bizarre claim

Maharashtra BJP leader Sujay Vikhe-Patil linked US President Donald Trump's shifting Iran conflict remarks to road delays and higher drinking. His remarks came while addressing local anger over a stalled road project.BJP Maharashtra leader Sujay Vikhe-Patil criticised Donald Trump over his shifting Iran policies.In a bizarre claim, BJP Maharashtra vice-president and former MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil said that US President Donald Trump’s shifting positions on global conflicts have contributed to increased alcohol consumption among some people in India.Speaking in Ahilyanagar about the delayed Ahilyanagar-Manmad road project, Vikhe-Patil said the ongoing US-Iran conflict had disrupted crude oil supplies and affected the availability of bitumen, a petroleum-derived material used in road construction.Taking a swipe at Trump, Vikhe-Patil questioned the US President’s repeated shifts between announcing military action and calling for a halt to hostilities."When Trump was firing missiles at Iran, did he think about the consequences? Every morning he says ‘stop’, and then again a bomb is fired. Again he says ‘stop’, and then says he has done this or that," Vikhe-Patil said, adding that the global turmoil has contributed to an increase in alcohol consumption among some people in India. According to Vikhe-Patil, the rising costs and disruptions in the supply of petroleum-based materials had created technical and financial hurdles for the road project.Vikhe-Patil also acknowledged the frustration among local residents over the poor condition of the road and said he understood their difficulties. "I have the same problems as you. The road is in such bad condition that I also feel the problem," he said.He, however, urged people not to resort to protests or violence against contractors and workers, saying such actions would not resolve the issue."The answer to this problem is not agitation. The answer is not to attack the contractor's people," he said, adding that work could not resume if workers were afraid to return to the site.Vikhe-Patil said the project involved technical and contractual complications and claimed that completing the road would require resolving the issues faced by the contractor.He also hit back at critics threatening to troll him over his remarks, saying he was not concerned about social media criticism and remained focused on resolving the road project's problems.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Aug 17, 2026 11:50 IST