Shiromani Akali Dal MLA from Delhi Manjinder S Sirsa has sent a legal notice to e-retailing giant Amazon for some of the products available on the platform that ‘hurt Sikh Sentiments’. Sirsa is also an elected member and general secretary of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
The Akali Leader is complaining about various products available on Amazon with symbols and images related to Sikhism printed on them. Yesterday Sirsa had posted detail of a doormat with the image of Darbar Sahib or the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which is available on the website. He had said that is sheer Sheer irresponsibility of Amazon to allow such anti-India stuff on their website. He had also demanded that the company that markets the doormats with the Sikh holy shrine should be banned.
Dear @amazonIN
Sheer irresponsibility on your part to allow such anti-India stuff on your website!!
I demand immediate banning of iPrint company for marketing doormats with Darbar Sahib image. This is a deliberate attempt to hurt Sikh sentiments
RT to get this company banned pic.twitter.com/Vcxs0kgByO
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 18, 2018
Sirsa had also said that if immediate action is not against the company selling the doormat on Amazon, a legal notice will be sent to the e-commerce company. Later he had pointed out another even more offending product, a toilet seat with imagery of the Golden temple. He warned Amazon to immediately withdraw such products and ban the sellers or to be ready for a worldwide protest against the company.
These products are no less that blasphemy @amazon @amazonIN
Even the description writes words “Holy Shrine” and your web portal still allows them to be marketed/sold!!!
I warn Amazon to immediately withdraw such products and ban the sellers or be ready for a worldwide protest pic.twitter.com/AhUu14xTa6
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 19, 2018
In a video posted on Twitter by the Akali leader, he said that he is demanding that not only Amazon should remove the offending items from their website, the company should also tender an apology for hurting religious sentiments. He said that in India, criminal proceedings against the company would be done under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code. Saying that the company has committed a big sin, he requested the Sikh people and parliamentarians in Canada to initiate similar criminal proceedings against the company, so that Amazon is forced to apologise and it does not dare to do such things again in future.
Legal notice served to @amazonIN @amazon @ANI @ndtv @abpnewstv @ZeeNews @News18India @htTweets @thetribunechd @IndianExpress @republic pic.twitter.com/0ABFqOlku9
— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 19, 2018
This is not the first time Amazon had come under fire for products being sold on the platform that hurt sentiments. Last year, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had threatened that Amazon officials will not be granted Visa if they do not withdraw doormats with Indian flag printed on them. Those doormats were being sold on Amazon Canada. Before that, the company was forced to remove doormats with Hindu Gods after a massive online protest against the company.
