Amazon takes down underwear, doormat listings with Hindu symbols after India backlash

Amazon.com Inc stated on Tuesday it had taken down listings of merchandise reminiscent of briefs and doormats with Hindu sacred symbols, which have been being offered on its abroad web sites, following a furore on social media in India.

#BoycottAmazon was one of many prime trending matters on Twitter in India, with customers sharing screenshots of Amazon listings of doormats and underwear emblazoned with insignia together with the elephant god Ganesha and different symbols, which Hindus think about sacred.

“We are taking down the products in question,” Amazon stated in an announcement. “All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account.”

To be certain, a number of of the product listings on Amazon’s web sites are managed by sellers and never instantly by the corporate.

But episodes reminiscent of this threaten to disrupt enterprise and bitter public sentiment in India for world corporations reminiscent of Amazon.

In 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities` threatened to rescind visas of Amazon’s workers within the nation if it didn’t cease the sale of doormats resembling India’s tri-colour flag on its Canadian web site.

The retail big enraged Indian clients once more in 2019 after bathroom seat covers and different gadgets emblazoned with photographs of Hindu gods have been noticed on its U.S. web site.

On each these events, it took down the product listings.

“Dear Indians, if your religious feeling have been hurt, register a complaint with cyber police or with local police station,” Gaurav Goel, a spokesman for India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party tweeted on Tuesday.

India is a key development marketplace for Amazon the place the corporate has dedicated to spending greater than $6 billion. In addition, Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing unit of the U.S. agency, is about to take a position 207.61 billion rupees ($2.80 billion)in southern Telangana state to arrange a cluster of knowledge centres.