Amazon’s tricolour ‘insult’ irks India

New Delhi: India has threatened to revoke visas given to all officials of global online retail giant Amazon, and also not grant any visas henceforth to them, unless the company apologises for selling doormats in Canada with the Indian flag on it. India has also asked Amazon to immediately withdraw all products insulting the Indian national flag.

However, there were some media reports from the Canadian city of Toronto a few days ago that Amazon Canada had already withdrawn the offensive product.

The furious reaction from New Delhi came after a person informed external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Twitter that such a product was being sold by Amazon in Canada and also posted pictures of the offensive product, saying, “@SushmaSwaraj Madam. Amazon Canada must be censured and warned not to sell India flag doormats. Please take action”.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj immediately tweeted, “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 was selling the doormats with the Indian flag on it as “personalised machine-washable durable indoor/outdoor welcome doormats”.

However, there were some reports from Toronto a few days ago that Amazon in Canada had already withdrawn the offensive product due to outrage among Indian citizens and persons of Indian origin settled there.