India’s Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, was angered with Amazon. The retail giant that is seen as the largest e-commerce in the country. has its Canadian storefront selling doormats with the Indian national flag on it.
She realized the issue after an image of the products was tweeted to her.
The Minister demanded Amazon to apologize immediately, and to remove the product from its store as soon as possible, or a potential risk for its foreign employees in India will lose their visas.
The Doormats featuring the Indian flag were made available on Amazon Canada site by two vendors: Mayers Flag Doormats and XLYL.
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
Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately. /1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
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
After a few hours, Amazon removed the article from the online marketplace. A spokesman for Amazon based at its headquarters in Seattle later said that the doormat was no longer for sale on its website.
It was later revealed that Amazon's U.S. were also selling shoes and show lace metal hoops bearing a likeness to the Indian flag colors.
The product was “Chukka Canvas shoes” priced at $43.99, and shoe lace accessories priced at $4.49. They were available on Amazon from a Los Angeles-based company N.Y.L.A.
And besides Amazon, another U.S-based online retailer, Café Press, was also found also selling T-shirts for canines with the Indian national emblem on them. The product is listed as “Indian coat of arms seal dog t-shirt”, priced at $19.99.
Amazon and other e-commerce retailers have been selling products with national flags of other countries, but has not triggered much protests. But as for India, the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005 makes the use of "the emblem for the purpose of any trade, business, calling or profession or in the title of any patent, or in any trademark or design, except in such cases and under such conditions as may be prescribed,” a punishable offence.
