Amazon hit with backlash in India for selling shoes and rugs with images of Hindu gods
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Amazon was hit with social media backlash in India after a range of items bearing images of Hindu gods, including rugs and toilet seat covers, were put on sale on its website.
Outraged people took to Twitter to vent their frustration and caused #BoycottAmazon to trend in India, with some people even tagging the country's leaders and urging them to rebuke the online retail giant.
The Jeff Bezos-led company told Reuters that it was removing the products from its store.
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"All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account," the company said in a statement to Reuters.
The news outlet discovered listings for sneakers, rugs and yoga mats emblazoned with Hindu gods or sacred Hindu symbols on the U.S. retailer's site.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A change.org petition calling on Amazon to "stop insulting" Hindus by making these products available for purchase had received 162,000 signatures as of Friday morning.
This isn't the first time Amazon has run afoul of a community for items depicting religious figures.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In 2017, the Indian government took Amazon to task after its Canadian website was spotted selling doormats resembling India's flag.