Centre issues notices to Amazon, Flipkart over sale of Pakistani flags, merchandise

The notice has also been issued to Ubuy India, Etsy, The Flag Company, and The Flag Corporation.

The regulatory body said the sale of Pakistani flags and merchandise would not be tolerated. It further directed the firms to remove such items from their platforms, he said.

In a post on X, the Union Minister said: "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. E-commerce platforms are hereby directed to immediately remove all such content and adhere to National laws."

Two weeks after the Pahalgam attack took place, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

India Armed Forces last week neutralised missiles and drones shot by Pakistan, targeting multiple cities in India, which included Amritsar, Jammu, Pathankot, among others, as a response to Operation Sindoor.

The countries then reached a ceasefire agreement on Saturday following four days of escalation between the two countries.

On May 9, the CCPA issued notices to Amazon, Flipkart, and 11 other e-commerce marketplaces over the illegal sale and listing of walkie-talkies on their platforms.

An Amazon spokesperson, however, told the media the platform is engaging closely with various stakeholders to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.

Besides Amazon and Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Facebook, Indiamart, VardaanMart, Jiomart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walie Talkie and MaskMan toys were issued notices by the government watchdog.

The crackdown focused on the sale of walkie-talkies without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA), constituting a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.