BBC news presenter Andrew Marr has sparked a Twitstorm after saying the late Prince Philip walked behind his wife Queen Elizabeth “like an Indian bride”.
Marr, more used to grilling politicians on his Sunday morning show, appeared to confuse Hindu customs with those of Saudi Arabia when he was brought on opposite BBC newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti on Friday during the channel’s rolling coverage of the prince’s death aged 99.
“He was always two steps behind. Like an Indian Bride as they say”
Who the hell is “they” in this scenario other than Andrew Marr? pic.twitter.com/dtUuaThDEp
— Harry Kind (@harrykind) April 9, 2021
Twitter users called Marr’s comments ‘ignorant’ and ‘inappropriate’, especially in front of Chakrabarti, whose parents emigrated from India’s West Bengal. Some demanded he apologise or be disciplined.
Has Andrew Marr been made to retract and apologise yet? https://t.co/8AGfo5OSTr
— Alison Kriel 💙 #ubuntu (@AlisonKriel) April 10, 2021
I’m Indian and I’ve literally never heard that before. Then again, this is coming from the same person who, in the past, said that he “always liked those Sikhs”. The audacity to say that to Reeta Chakrabarti who is of Indian descent too… my word. It’s 2021, do better. https://t.co/LvXjXPtTS4
— Jaya Pathak (@jayapathak_) April 9, 2021
Naga Munchetty gets reprimanded for laughing at the completely Un-British and ludicrous Union Jack arms race by Conservative politicians – and has to apologise. But no apology by Andrew Neil for ‘mad cat woman’ misogyny over Carole Cadwalladr. And what about Marr’s Indian Bride?
— Peter Jukes (@peterjukes) April 10, 2021
The Duke of Edinburgh was himself notorious for his many public gaffes, often of a racial nature.
The prince had to apologise in 1999 after commenting during a tour of an Edinburgh electronics factory that an untidy fuse box looked “as if it was put in by an Indian”.
Twitterati were quick to point out the irony of Marr putting his foot in it the same way.
The BBC have been describing Prince Phillips racism as a “controversial whit”
— Ben 🟨🟥 (@Ben_Jolly_9) April 9, 2021
Casual racism in honour of a racist. pic.twitter.com/NmBbPt6APc
— DecoloniseTheCurriculum.com (@MrPranPatel) April 9, 2021
‘As they say.’ Is it just me who has never heard anyone say ‘like an Indian bride two steps behind’ before? I’m suddenly a lot more sceptical of Andrew Marr’s friendship group… https://t.co/vxd2bis0z2
— Andrew Smith (@andrew_graeme) April 10, 2021
So Prince Philip was like an Indian bride his whole life … two steps behind. Yeah ok BBC.
Is this Marr making a dig at the Indian heritage of the very competent presenter Rita Chakrabarti? You know some men feel the need to make sly comments to successful women. https://t.co/iMVATEwUQJ— Sufiya’s Noor Inayat Khan children book out now (@sufiyaahmed) April 10, 2021
Source: SPUTNIK