BJP Maharashtra vice-president Sujay Vikhe-Patil claimed US President Donald Trump's shifting positions on wars had contributed to increased alcohol consumption among some people in India.
Vikhe-Patil also blamed global disruptions linked to attacks on Iran for delays in the Ahilyanagar-Manmad Road project.
He argued that Trump's foreign policy decisions were having unexpected consequences in India.
BJP Maharashtra vice-president and former MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil has made a series of unusual claims linking US President Donald Trump's shifting positions on wars to increased alcohol consumption in India and delays in the construction of the Ahilyanagar-Manmad Road.
Vikhe-Patil made the remarks on Sunday while discussing the delayed road project in Ahilyanagar. He argued that a chain of international events, including attacks on Iran, had disrupted crude oil supplies and affected the availability of bitumen used in road construction.
Who Is Sujay Vikhe-Patil?
Sujay Vikhe Patil is a Maharashtra-based BJP politician and neurosurgeon from the influential Vikhe Patil political family of Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar). He is the son of Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and grandson of former Union minister Balasaheb Vikhe Patil.
He won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Ahmednagar by over 2.8 lakh votes, becoming an MP at the age of 37. He lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the constituency to Nilesh Lanke of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), ending his first term in Parliament.
‘Trump’s Actions Have Increased Alcohol Consumption’
Criticising Trump's changing positions on military conflicts, Vikhe-Patil claimed that the US President's statements were creating confusion and having unexpected consequences in India.
"This man (Trump) says one thing at night, another in the morning, and something entirely different the next day," Vikhe-Patil said.
He alleged that Trump's shifting stance on wars was affecting people's behaviour in India.
"Due to the confusion caused by Trump's actions, the amount of alcohol consumed by certain people has increased," he claimed.
How Did He Link Trump To The Road Project?
Vikhe-Patil also attributed the delay in construction of the Ahilyanagar-Manmad Road to disruptions in global crude oil supplies.
"Attacks on Iran have impacted the supply of crude oil," he said, arguing that disruptions in crude oil production and supply had affected the availability of petroleum products.
According to the BJP leader, bitumen — a petroleum-derived product widely used in road construction — is among the materials affected by such disruptions.
"Consequently, disruptions in supply and production have reduced the availability of bitumen. All of this has happened because of Donald Trump's war policy. This is all linked. Those who understand will get it," he alleged.
Vikhe-Patil's remarks come as the delayed road project remains a local issue in Ahilyanagar, with the BJP leader seeking to explain the construction delays through a combination of geopolitical developments and their impact on petroleum supplies.
