The world-renowned e-commerce giant Amazon landed in a mess when a Twitter user tweeted the sale of Indian flag doormat on the Canadian extension of Amazon’s website this Wednesday. Agitated by the complaint, the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asked the US-based company to withdraw all such products from their site that resembles the Indian tricolour. The tricolour mats were sold on Amazon by two major vendors– XLYL and Mayers Flag Doormats.
Further, she asked the Indian High Commission in Canada to take this matter to the highest authorities of Amazon. According to Swaraj, if the Amazon management fails to take the necessary action in this matter then the Government of India will henceforth, not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official.
Following the visa threat, Amazon’s Canadian portal was quick to remove the mat from its website today. A spokeswoman for Amazon had sent an email stating that the ‘Indian flag doormat is no longer available for sale on the website’.
As per Amazon, their Canadian portal sells doormats fashioned around national flags of many countries. Nevertheless, according to the Indian constitution, any desecration of the National tricolour is punishable. Therefore, the Indian Ministry asked the website owners to take it down.
The matter gained worldwide attention when an Indian citizen named Atul Bhobe tweeted a screenshot of the Amazon site on Minister Swaraj’s Twitter account. A prolific user of the social media, Swaraj, actively responded to the Tweet and took the necessary action.
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
Also, some Twitteratis flooded Amazon’s official Twitter account with angry messages on this issue. Amazon employees have politely responded to the messages and informed them that the mats were not being sold on the Indian portal and the company has duly noted their concern.
Amazon is planning to invest an extra $5 billion amount in Indian markets so that they can overtake other fast-growing shopping networks like Snapdeal and Flipkart. The recent controversy didn’t sit very well with many users. While this may have a negligible effect on its sale, it’ll certainly degrade their market reputation. The website owners have to pay extra caution while dealing with such products and situations in future.
