Amazon’s listing for £14 'Gandhi flip flops' prompts outrage in India
It comes just days after the site was forced to apologise for selling Indian flag doormats
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Your support makes all the difference.Amazon has sparked condemnation from its Indian customers after it listed flip flops for sale with Mahatma Gandhi’s face printed on them.
The tech giant listed the “Gandhi Flop Flops” for $16.99 (£14) but later removed the item following criticism.
It came just days after it was forced to apologise for listing Indian flag doormats on its Canadian website.
Mr Gandhi became the figurehead of the Indian independence movement from the British, and remains highly revered across the nation.
On Sunday, India’s Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das hit out at the company writing on Twitter: “Amazon, better behave. Desist from being flippant about Indian symbols & icons. Indifference will be at your own peril.”
He later clarified his statement saying: “Comment on Amazon was as a citizen of India as I felt strongly about it. Nothing more should be read into it.”
On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj demanded an immediate apology from Amazon for selling the doormats and threatened to withhold visa approvals and rescind those already approved from Amazon employees until the issue was rectified.
She wrote: “Indian High Commission in Canada :This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.
“Amazon must tender unconditional apology. They must withdraw all products insulting our national flag immediately.
“If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.”
Amazon India vice-president Amit Agarwal wrote to Ms Swaraj saying the doormats had been offered by a third-party seller on its Canadian website and there had been no intent to offend.
He said his firm was "committed to respecting Indian laws and customs".
"A third-party seller, not Amazon, had listed these products for sale in Canada... Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments," he said.
In India, desecration of the national flag is punishable with fines and imprisonment.
The Independent has approached Amazon for comment.
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