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Govt cracks down on ecomm platforms over sale of Pakistani flags; CCPA issues notices
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, confirmed the action on social media platform X.
The Ministry has directed these platforms to immediately remove all such listings and ensure strict compliance with Indian laws and regulations concerning national symbols and foreign merchandise.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued formal notices to leading e-commerce platforms including Amazon India, Flipkart, Ubuy India, Etsy, The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation for allegedly selling Pakistani flags and related merchandise.
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, confirmed the action on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “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.”
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.
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) May 14, 2025
E-commerce platforms are hereby directed to immediately remove all… pic.twitter.com/03Q4FOxwCX
The Ministry has directed these platforms to immediately remove all such listings and ensure strict compliance with Indian laws and regulations concerning national symbols and foreign merchandise.
The enforcement action comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, which was a direct response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir.
Earlier this week, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) wrote to Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, demanding a ban on the online sale of Pakistani flags and any items bearing Pakistan’s national symbols. The traders’ body called the availability of such items insulting and unacceptable.
The CCPA is expected to monitor the compliance status over the coming days. Meanwhile, the issue is likely to feature in upcoming discussions between government stakeholders and digital commerce platforms, especially amid ongoing efforts to tighten e-commerce regulations in India.
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