The world paid tribute when the longest-reigning monarch in British history, Queen Elizabeth II passed away at 96. And at the same time, there were some hot takes that were going around and a famous anchor made a huge claim about the Queen’s rule in India. And Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called him out and praised the Taj Mahal, one of the eight wonders of the world.

The Queen passed away on 8th September after 70 years on the throne. And in that time, she ruled over 32 sovereign states and she was the head of the Commonwealth. She left a long-lasting legacy and touched millions of people around the world.

And during one of her tributes, a Fox News Anchor, Tucker Carlson raved about the contributions the British had made toward India. The British empire ruled over India for over 200 years. He said, “When the British pulled out of India, they left behind an entire civilisation, a language, a legal system, schools, churches and public buildings, all of which are still in use today,”

These comments drew the ire of many people online, calling Carlson’s remarks as uninformed and racist.

Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rebuttals anchors’ claims

Carlson also raved about the impressive buildings that the British left behind. He gave an example of the railway terminal seen in Mumbai today, which was built by the British. He said, “After 75 years of independence, has that country produced a single building as beautiful as the Bombay train station the British colonialists built? No, sadly it has not, not one”.

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His comments were met with intense backlash on the internet, and even Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joined in on it and he rebuffed his statement on the buildings. He said, ” Quick word about Carlson’s claim that India couldn’t produce any buildings as lovely as the train depot. Uh, Taj Mahal seems pretty awesome. Even though it doesn’t have tracks”. 

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Furthermore, the Taj Mahal was actually built even before the British ruled India. The debate over the impact British rule had on India will likely continue for a long time.

What did you think of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s comments? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.