Centre Issues Notice To Amazon, Flipkart Over Sale Of Pakistan Flags

Ban on Pak flags sale: In the aftermath of state-sponsored Pahalgam attack on April 22 which claimed the lives of 26 innocent individuals, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issues notices to e-commerce majors Amazon India, Flipkart, Etsy, and Ubuy India over the sale of Pakistan's national flags.

The regulatory body established under Consumer Protection Act (CPA), 2019 also served notices to The Flag Company and The Flag Corporation for selling retail merchandise, and Pakistani flags. The intent behind this move is to act against insensitivity during a time of strained relations between both nations. 

In a tweet, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Prahlad Joshi, 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."

This comes after the CCPA had issued notices to e-commerce platforms Amazon, Flipkart and 11 other digital marketplaces over the illegal sale and listing of walkie-talkie on their platforms.

Besides e-commerce majors, 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 was intended on halting the sale of walkie-talkies without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA), as it in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

In an earlier statement, the Union Minister said the sale of non-compliant wireless devices is a breach of statutory obligations and  also poses significant risks to national security operations. These violations contravene multiple legal frameworks, including the Consumer Protection Act, Indian Telegraph Act, and Wireless Telegraphy Act, he said.

The minister further said the CCPA will issue formal guidelines under Section 18(2)(l) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, aimed at strengthening compliance and consumer safeguards in digital marketplaces. Sellers have been directed to adhere strictly to all applicable regulatory standards to uphold consumer rights and prevent unlawful trade practices, he added.