‘Jagannath’ Shoes Being Sold On Flipkart Raises Hackles

By OB Bureau On Sep 22, 2020

Bhubaneswar: E-commerce site Flipkart is selling shoes under the brand name ‘Jagannath’, which, of course, has not gone down well with devotees of the Lord.

Here is what a Twitter user wrote, saying that it is not appropriate to use the God’s name for a shoe.

@Flipkart it does not look appropriate to me by using GOD name.
Please check#ISKCON #Odisha pic.twitter.com/KQk9o8NWSl

— Sambit Kumar (@SambitKumar_) September 22, 2020

This is not the first time that an e-commerce site has hurt religious sentiments. In May 2019, #Boycott Amazon trended on Twitter after users criticised it for selling toilet covers with images of Hindu Gods on its US website.

Multiple users took to Twitter to question the selling of toilet seat covers, rugs and floor mats with the pictures of Hindu Gods.

An Amazon spokesperson had told PTI that all sellers must follow the company’s selling guidelines and those who do not comply will be subject to action, including potential removal of their account.

“The products in question are being removed from our store,” the spokesperson had added.

Shiromani Akali Dal’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa had also called out Amazon for being ‘insensitive to the religious faith of Indians’.

The then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had received several complaints of Amazon selling flip-flops with Mahatma Gandhi’s image in 2017. There were also reports of Amazon Canada selling doormats on its platform depicting the Indian flag, The Quint reported.