BJP leader Udit Raj promotes beef? MP says Usain Bolt scored 9 gold medals in Olympic after eating beef

Raj took to Twitter saying that Bolt scored 9 medals after he was advised to eat beef

Updated: August 29, 2016 10:54 AM IST

By India.com News Desk

BJP leader Udit Raj promotes beef? MP says Usain Bolt scored 9 gold medals in Olympic after eating beef

New Delhi, Aug 29: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Udit Raj on Sunday stirred a controversy after he tweeted how eating beef benefited Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. Raj took to Twitter saying that Bolt scored 9 medals after he was advised to eat beef. While the party brought in beef ban in most states of the country, BJP MP’s statement has come as a startling statement.

Here is the tweet:

Udit Raj faced a lot of backlash on Twitter for promoting beef on the micro-blogging site, while some said that the statement was factually incorrect as beef does not add to the proteins in the body. While others trolled him by saying that Pakistani runners would have won all the medals as most of them consume the meat. (ALSO READ: Police detains BJP MP Udit Raj for attacking Northwest Delhi DM office)

Udit Raj clarifying his statement told CNN, News18, “My remark is in context of allegations that athletes don’t have enough facilities. In favour of Indians eating beef, BJP too has never said don’t eat anything.” The party has not yet responded on Raj’ stand.

Raj on Monday tweeted saying that he was only referring to how Bolt won medals despite poor infrastructure and facilities. Here are his tweets:

Beef was banned in many states in India after BJP-led NDA government came to power at the Centre. The decision was formulated after as slaughtering of cows hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Cow is considered as a sacred animal in Hindu scriptures. (ALSO READ: Beef ban- Cow and bullock slaughtering prohibited, beef possession not criminal offence)

Most states have already imposed a beef ban, making slaughter of cows and possession of beef a criminal offence. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries data says that out of 29 states in the country, beef is banned in 24 of them. Punishment for vioalting the law also includes imprisonment and fine. The punishment varies from state to state.

With beef being considered as a staple diet by most of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/ST) , the country witnessed unrest following the ban. In July, Raj had criticised cow vigilante groups for attacking Dalits. He had said, “The so-called protectors of the Hindu religion must answer if they consider lives of Dalits to be worth to be of less value than animal.”

Reacting to Raj’s statement, Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said that this statement coming before the UP elections show that BJP is eyeing the Dalit vote bank in the state. Udit Raj represents the North-west Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha. He is also the National Chairman of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations. He joined BJP in 2014.

Last year, Raj was in news when he and his personal secretary Parminder along with some other men attacked Northwest Delhi District Magistrate Sanjay Goel. An FIR was registered against him.

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