Close on the heels of the Indian flag incident, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has now received several complaints of Amazon selling flip-flops with Mahatma Gandhi’s image.
Some Twitter users have tagged Swaraj in their tweets complaining that the beach sandals with Gandhi’s image were being sold on the Amazon US site.
When asked, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup did not specifically mention about the issue, saying, “As a follow up to the matter regarding the sale of doormats with the Indian flag on Amazon, our ambassador in Washington has been instructed to convey to Amazon that while providing a platform for third party vendors, they should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments.”
The posting on the Amazon says, “CafePress -- Gandhi Flip Flops -- Flip Flops, Funny Thong Sandles, Beach Sandles” with a listed price of $16.99 (Rs 1,157).
Earlier this week, after she received a complaint about Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag on its site, Swaraj reacted sharply and asked the e-retailer to withdraw the products and tender an unconditional apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.
Following the stern message, Amazon expressed regret for “offending” Indian sentiments and informed Swaraj about removal of the offensive product from its Canadian website.
