BJP's Udit Raj Tweets Beef Helped Usain Bolt Win Gold, Then Clarifies

New Delhi: A day after he tweeted that a beef diet helped Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt win nine gold medals in the Olympics, Dalit activist and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Udit Raj clarified on Monday that he was referring to his "dedication".

Raj had said on his Twitter post on Sunday, "Usain bolt of Jamaica was poor and trainer advised him to eat beef both the times and he scored 9 gold medals in Olympic."

After this became a controversy, Raj said in his interview to CNN News18: "I tweeted on bolt and his beef diet because there are allegations that athletes don't have enough facilities in India. It's not the facilities which matter. What matters is dedication. Usain Bolt was poor but had dedication. When his trainer told him that he must eat beef as it's a source of protein then he did it and managed to win so many gold medals."

When asked that his tweet may turn in to a political debate or controversy, he said, “Let me clarify that BJP has never said don't eat anything. Eat whatever you want. This is an attempt to defame the party."

On the context of his twitter post might upset some of the party leaders, Raj said, "Why would BJP leaders will get angry? Why would it create controversy? No controversy it in. BJP’s Line has never been to stop anyone from anything."

Raj also stressed that there should not be any restriction on eating beef for athletes in India. "There should be no objection to that. We need gold medals. BJP never opposed it," he said, when asked for his opinion on recommending beef to Indian athletes.

"BJP never said don't eat anything," he said on nationwide uproar on eating beef in India.

Raj represents Delhi North-West constituency and he is the chairperson of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations.

Recently, he raised his voice against cow vigilante groups for flogging dalits in Gujarat.