[Update] CCPA Issues Notices To Amazon, Flipkart, Others For Selling Pakistani Flags

Update | May 15, 1:08 AM IST

A day after the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) wrote to the Centre to ban sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise on ecommerce platforms, the government has now cracked the whip on multiple online marketplaces over the issue. 

In a post on X, consumer affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said that the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued notices to Amazon, Flipkart, Etsy and three other platforms over sale of such merchandise. 

“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. Such insensitivity will not be tolerated,” said Joshi in the post.

The minister also directed the ecommerce platforms operating in India to remove all such products from their platforms to comply with the nation’s law. 

Original | May 13, 7:08 PM IST

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has urged the government to ban sale of Pakistani flags and related merchandise on ecommerce platforms.

The move comes after Pakistani flags and T-shirts bearing the crescent-and-star symbol were found listed on Amazon, with prices ranging between INR 300-3,000.

In a letter to commerce minister Piyush Goyal, CAIT’s president BC Bhartia wrote, “It has come to light that Pakistani flags, logo-bearing mugs, and 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.”

“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,” Bhartia further said in the letter to the minister.

Seeking immediate action against the products, the letter called for “an immediate ban on sale of Pakistani flags, logos and all related merchandise across all e-commerce platforms operating in India.”

“A thorough investigation into how such products were listed and permitted for sale.”

“Implementation of strict compliance mechanisms to ensure such incidents do not recur, including penal action or suspension of platforms failing to adhere to national sensitivities.”

“Issuance of clear directives to all e-commerce platforms to prohibit sale of any products that may compromise national security or insult public sentiment.”

Multiple Actions Against Pakistan-Linked Content

This development follows a series of measures being taken by the government to limit Pakistan-related content and business recently amid escalating border tensions between the two countries.

On May 8, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory, asking OTT platforms, media streaming services and intermediaries to discontinue web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect, citing national security concerns under IT Rules, 2021.

The government also banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major outlets like Dawn News, Geo News, and ARY News, for allegedly disseminating provocative, communally sensitive content, and false or misleading narratives targeting India.

Last week, online travel aggregator ixigo suspended flight and hotel bookings to Turkey, China, and Azerbaijan after these countries expressed solidarity with Pakistan following India’s military strikes. 

Meanwhile, EaseMyTrip cofounder Nishant Pitti said in an X post that 2.87 Lakh and 2.43 Lakh Indians visited Turkey and Azerbaijan last year, questioning whether Indians should “fuel their tourism and their economies” when “these nations openly support Pakistan.”