CCPA Issued Notice to Amazon, Flipkart And Other E Commerce For Selling Pakistani Flags and Merchandise
New Delhi : The central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to major e-commerce platforms including Amazon India, U buy India, Etsy, The Flag Company and the Flag Corporation over the sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise. The Union minister of Consumer affairs Pralhad Joshi shared this via a post on X social media platform.
The X handle read -“The CCPA has issued notices to @amazonIN, @Flipkart, @UbuyIndia, @Etsy, The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation over the sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise.
Minister further firmly said that such insensitivity will not be tolerated and directed E-commerce platforms to immediately remove all such content and adhere to National laws. The minister also warned all online retailers to strictly comply with Indian laws while conducting business in the country.
The warning comes after the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) wrote a letter to the Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Pralhad Joshi seeking ban on the sale of Pakistani flags and other merchandise on e-commerce platforms in India.
In a letter to Union minister Piyush Goyal, CAIT’s National President BC Bhartia wrote that Pakistani flags, logo-bearing mugs, T-shirts are being openly sold on major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. “This disturbing situation unfolds even as our valiant armed forces are actively engaged in Operation Sindoor- a mission of critical national importance against Pakistan. Such actions by e-commerce platforms reflect a blatant disregard for the dignity of our armed forces, the sovereignty of India and the emotions of every patriotic Indian citizen. This is not merely an oversight. It is a grave matter that risks undermining national unity and poses a potential threat to our internal harmony and security,” the letter read.
After receiving the notice, e-commerce company Amazon issued a press release where it said that “Amazon.in operates as an online marketplace where independent third-party sellers offer and sell their products. We require sellers to offer products which comply with applicable Indian laws and Amazon policies. We remove non-compliant product listings upon notification from relevant regulatory authorities. The products in question are not available for purchase on our marketplace,” Amazon said in a release.
Notably, last week, the CCPA issued 13 notices to leading digital marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and OLX against the listing and sale of walkie-talkies on their platforms without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA). Walkie-talkies are being sold on e-commerce platforms without mandatory and clear disclosures regarding the requirement of a wireless operating license or compliance with applicable laws, according to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
A preliminary analysis further revealed an alarming volume of such listings across these platforms, including approximately 467 listings on Amazon, 314 on Flipkart, 489 on Meesho, and 423 on TradeIndia, indicating the widespread scale of the issue.
Union Minister Joshi had said that the sale of non-compliant wireless devices not only breaches statutory obligations but may also pose significant risks to national security operations. “All sellers are required to strictly adhere to applicable regulatory standards to uphold consumer rights and prevent unlawful trade practices,” the minister posted on X social media platform.
The move comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor which was India’s retaliatory action on Pakistan’s terror camps after the April 22 Pahalgam terro attack.