Two days after Amazon’s Canada portal pulled down the listing of doormats depicting the Indian flag after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s strong objection, the online company has put up another listing of slippers with Mahatma Gandhi’s face printed on it.
Priced at $16.99, these are listed on Amazon.com as “Gandhi Flip Flops”. Amazon has once again degraded an important Indian symbol – that of the Father of the Nation – by placing it on slippers.
Sushma Swaraj had last week taken strong objection to Amazon Canada selling doormats depicting Indian flag. She had 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apology, failing which no official of Amazon will be granted Indian visa and the ones issued earlier will also be rescinded.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 her sharp rebuke, Amazon India’s vice president and country manager Amit Agarwal wrote to Swaraj expressing “regret at hurting Indian sensibilities”.
The minister also asked the Indian Embassy to take up the matter with Amazon Canada. “Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level.”
