New Delhi: BJP MP Udit Raj has caused a stir with a tweet that suggested that Olympic medallist Usain Bolt won nine golds despite being from a poor family after being advised to eat beef twice a day.
As comments on Twitter accused him of “encouraging people to eat beef”, Dr Raj quickly clarified that he did not advocate beef consumption when he quoted Usain Bolt’s coach as advising the Jamaican sprinter to eat beef. “My tweet is not even remotely connected to advocate beef eating. Rather it is a reproduction of Bolt’s trainer’s statement,” Udit Raj tweeted.
On Sunday, Raj tweeted: “Usain Bolt of Jamaica was poor and (the) trainer advised him to eat beef both the times and he scored nine gold medals in Olympics.” After the tweet went viral, the Lok Sabha member from Delhi clarified his stand. “I cited (the) circumstances of Jamaica that despite poor infrastructure and poverty, Bolt won nine golds. So our players should find ways like that to win,” he posted on his Twitter handle.
Raj said he only wanted Indian players to look for the best means to post wins in games rather than blaming circumstances and the government. He also said that eating was an individual choice. “As Usain Bolt and trainer found ways and means to win medals, similarly our players and trainers should also do as per their circumstances,” the Dalit leader said.
Udit Raj, a prominent Dalit leader, was seen as a critic of the BJP before he joined the party just before the national election in 2014, saying he was convinced that the party sincerely believes in inclusive growth for all sections of Indian society. He contested as a BJP candidate and won in Delhi.
