According to Associate Press, India’s Foreign Minister; Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday demanded Canadian online marketplace; Amazon Inc. for selling doormats depicting the Indian flag on it’s website. The doormats were being sold by a third party and other mats showed other national flags, including the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
She warned the company via Twitter that she could deny Indian visas to Amazon employees if the company did not apologize and withdraw all products insulting the Indian national flag immediately.
“If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant an Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier,” Swaraj tweeted.
If this is not done forthwith, we will not grant Indian Visa to any Amazon official. We will also rescind the Visas issued earlier.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
Swaraj ordered the embassy in Canada to take up the matter with Amazon at the highest level.
“Indian High Commission in Canada: This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level,” she tweeted.
Indian High Commission in Canada : This is unacceptable. Please take this up with Amazon at the highest level. https://t.co/L4yI3gLk3h
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 11, 2017
Amazon immediately took off all Indian-themed product, following Swaraj’s Twitter threat.
The doormats outraged many people among the Indian diaspora in Canada, who posted pictures of them on social media and urged the foreign minister to formally object.
