Amazon Faces CCPA Heat for Selling Ayodhya Ram Temple Prasad

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued a show-cause notice to Amazon Seller Services, which runs the ecommerce giant's India marketplace, for allowing the sale of food products under the misleading name Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad on its platform. This action comes in response to a complaint filed by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) alleging deceptive trade practices and exploitation of religious sentiments for commercial gain.

The CCPA has demanded a response from Amazon within seven days, failing which the authority may initiate necessary legal action under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. This could potentially lead to fines or even a ban on the sale of such mislabeled products on the platform.

On Friday, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) lodged a complaint against the online marketplace, accusing it of deceptive trade practices involving one of its sellers who allegedly exploited "religious sentiments for commercial gains." The complaint, presented to Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, also claimed that the food products in question were not genuine prasad, or religious offerings, from the Ram temple in Ayodhya.