Amazon faces regulatory scrutiny as the Central Consumer Protection Authority takes action against the e-commerce giant for the alleged deceptive sale of sweets under the name 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad,' following a complaint by the Confederation of All India Traders.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has taken action against Amazon for the sale of sweets on its platform under the name 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad.' This action was initiated based on a complaint from the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), accusing Amazon of deceptive trade practices in selling sweets under the guise of religious offerings, as reported by Hindustan Times,
Products like 'Raghupati Ghee Ladoo,' 'Khoya Khobi Ladoo,' 'Ghee Bundi Ladoo,' and 'Desi Cow Milk Peda' were highlighted in this context. Advertisers, such as 'Khadi Organic' and 'Mandir Darshan,' have been promoting these sweets as items to be obtained from the Ram Temple's inauguration or Prana Pratishtha ceremony scheduled for January 22.
Amazon features nearly six sweet products from 'Bihari Brothers' under the name 'Sri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad,' claiming the prasad is directly from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) Spokesperson Vinod Bansal warned against false advertisements, clarifying that claims of receiving prasad from Ayodhya's temple are misleading.
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution expressed concern over the false representations of food products on Amazon, misleading consumers about their authenticity. The CCPA has requested a response from Amazon within a week, warning of possible action under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 if a reply is not received.
Under the Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, 2020, the CCPA emphasized that enabling the sale of food products online with false representations misleads consumers about the true characteristics of the product. The release mentioned that misleading advertisements, as defined in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, can falsely describe products or services, giving a false guarantee or likely to mislead consumers about their nature, substance, quantity, or quality.
Following a surge in online orders and public backlash, websites Khadi Organic and Mandir Darshan clarified that they are not officially linked to Ram Temple's trust.