Sushma Swaraj asks Amazon to apologise: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has criticised online retail giant Amazon for selling doormats on its Canadian website featuring the Indian flag. Sushma warned Amazon to remove all the products insulting the Tricolor, otherwise, no official from Amazon will get an Indian Visa.
Sushma Swaraj took a tweet on twitter saying Amazon should issue an “unconditional apology” and withdraw the insulting products.
“If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier,” she said.
If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
Doormats featuring the Indian flag were made available on Amazon Canada site by two vendors — Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL.
An image of the products was tweeted to the Minister, after which she asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to raise the issue with Amazon.
“Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level,” the Minister tweeted.
Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
In a series of tweets, Swaraj asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to take up the issue with Amazon after it was brought to her attention by another Twitter user.
The doormats were being sold by a third-party on the site describing as personalised durable machine-washable indoor/outdoor,” we remove from the website said Amazon official.
Sushma Swaraj asks Amazon to apologise: Amazon says, the item is no longer on its site
While shooting an e-mail to ministry, and Amazon Spokeswoman said “The item is no longer available for sale on the site,” selling doormats featuring flags in India is desecration the flag and punishable with fines and imprisonment.
Amazon was also surrounded with controversies earlier for selling doormats illustrating Hindu gods. The row comes as Flipkart, India’s biggest online retailer is involved in a fierce battle with Amazon over market share.
