'Conspiracy To Belittle Sanatan Dharma...' - BJP Leader Jay Panda Slams Jack Ma's AliExpress Over Lord Jagannath Doormat

A doormat featuring the sacred image of Lord Jagannath, one of Hinduism’s most revered deities, has sparked massive outrage among devotees after being listed on the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress. The listing, priced at around Rs 787, displayed photos of the deity’s face printed on the mat, including an image of a person stepping on it.

The product description called it a “Non-slip soft water uptake carpet”, but for millions of Hindus—especially in Odisha, where Lord Jagannath is central to faith and culture—the depiction was seen as deeply offensive. Social media platforms erupted with anger, demanding immediate action against AliExpress and the seller.

Political Leaders Condemn the Act

Baijayant Jay Panda, National Vice President of BJP and a five-time MP from Odisha, was among the first to slam the e-commerce platform. "Outraged to see the sacred image of Mahaprabhu Jagannath on a doormat that AliExpress is selling. As an Odia and one among millions of devotees, this is unacceptable. I see a deeper conspiracy by this Chinese eCommerce site, already banned in India," he said. 

"It's just the latest in a long line of foreign entities who have kept trying over centuries to belittle Sanatan Dharma & demean its followers. If the seller does not walk this back, several steps must be taken to make it regret its stand. Jai Jagannath," he added.

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Former MP and senior BJD leader Amar Patnaik also condemned the listing in strong words, “I vehemently condemn the egregious act of selling doormats with the sacred image of Lord Jagannath on AliExpress! This shameless profanity is an affront to the deepest sentiments of millions of devotees, trampling upon the revered iconography with utter disregard. It's a desecration of the highest order, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

He added, “The fact that Lord Jagannath's image is being used as a mere commodity is a stark reminder of the blatant disrespect towards Hinduism. Immediate action is imperative to rectify this egregious wrongdoing and restore dignity to the revered deity.”

Devotees Express Anger on Social Media

Devotees across social media expressed fury and called for united protests against such "insensitive" acts.

A user named Shantiswarup said, “Lord Jagannath is not only our god but the very identity of the Odias, and this act is nothing less than an attack on our culture. Hindus have always been soft targets. We should not wait for the centre to act and instead protest to AliExpress for banning such products.”

Abhigyan tweeted, “Sir, international brands have been executing sacrilege against Indian culture for decades...we need to tighten the noose so as to ensure they stick to their boundaries.”

Pankaj Acharya posted, “All Hindus should raise their voice to stop this immediately. Why do they hate our gods so much?”

AliExpress and India’s Ban

AliExpress, launched in 2010 and owned by the Alibaba Group, has already been banned in India amid national security and data privacy concerns. Despite the ban, its listings remain visible globally, sparking debates about how such platforms regulate offensive content.