Udit Raj's comments show BJP's mentality: Congress

The BJP MP had said that Usain Bolt won nine Olympics gold medals because of consuming beef

The Congress Party on Tuesday condemned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Udit Raj's comments that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt ate beef according to the advice of his trainer to win medals in Olympics, saying that such statements show the mentality of the saffron party.

Congress leader Ashok Singh said that such comments spoil the image of the nation on the international platform.

"His statement shows the mentality of his party. Such statements spoil the image of the nation on the international platform. Ever since 2014, we have been listening such statements. The BJP does all this to divert attention from the main issues," said Singh.

Udit Raj on Monday triggered a row after he tweeted that champion Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt went on to win nine Olympics gold despite being born in poverty after his trainer advised him to eat beef twice a day.

However, his tweet raised a few eyebrows within the party, which is avowedly against beef consumption, and drew sharp response from the right-leaning people on Twitter, prompting him to claim that his comments were "misconstrued" and that they were meant to "inspire" Indian athletes and convey that they can excel in adverse circumstances.