Chinese e-commerce site angers millions by selling doormat with Lord Jagannath's image; Company responds
The matter came to light when users noticed the offensive item listed on AliExpress. The image of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, who holds great spiritual value for Odias, was printed on doormats, a move that many called hurtful and insulting.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida slammed the platform. Sharing her views on X, she wrote, "Mahaprabhu Jagannath is deeply connected to the soul and emotions of every Odia. I strongly condemn Chinese e-commerce platform @AliExpress_EN for selling doormats featuring Mahaprabhu Jagannath's image. @AliExpress_EN must remove the listing immediately and apologise to devotees for this offensive act."After the backlash, AliExpress replied to a post by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, saying the item had been taken down.The platform stated, 'We appreciate your report. The item has been reviewed and removed. Community input helps us improve our platform and strengthen our content checks. Thank you for helping us create a safe and friendly online shopping experience.'
Firdous had earlier written, "Strongly condemn the blasphemous act of selling doormats with the sacred image of Lord Jagannath on @AliExpress_EN. This is a grave insult to millions of devotees and a serious attack on cultural and religious sentiments. Immediate action must be taken to remove the listing and issue a public apology."Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarshan Pattnaik also voiced his anger.He wrote, "Jai Jagannath. We appeal to all devotees worldwide to raise their voice against this unacceptable act. The sacred image of Mahaprabhu Jagannath on a doormat sold by @AliExpress_EN is deeply offensive. Remove it, apologise, and ensure this never happens again."Former MP and BJD leader Amar Patnaik called the act a disgrace.He said, "I strongly condemn the act of selling doormats with the sacred image of Lord Jagannath on AliExpress. This is a big insult to millions of devotees. It shows complete disrespect for Hindu beliefs. Immediate action must be taken to fix this and protect the dignity of our faith."
Inputs from PTI
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Congress will end polarisation & cartelisation in Assam…GOP's resurgence will start from the Northeast'
People want to coexist with people of other faiths. The kind of Assamese society that was there under Tarun Gogoi is what people want to return to, says Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi
The Hindu
6 minutes ago
- The Hindu
El Salvador's Bukele defends ending term limit
El Salvador's president on Sunday (August 3, 2025) defended a constitutional reform granting him the right to seek indefinite re-election, slamming critics who say it represents growing authoritarianism in the Central American nation. 'Ninety% of developed countries allow the indefinite re-election of their head of government, and no one bats an eye. But when a small, poor country like El Salvador tries to do the same, suddenly it's the end of democracy,' Nayib Bukele wrote in English on X. El Salvador's Congress, dominated by Mr. Bukele's New Ideas party, passed the reform on Thursday (July 31, 2025). It also extends presidential terms from five to six years. Mr. Bukele, 44, who has been president since 2019 and was re-elected in 2024 with 85% of the vote, now holds near-total control over the country's institutions — in what the opposition calls a 'dictatorship.' He enjoys enormous domestic support for his tough campaign against criminal gangs, but has been sharply criticised by international and local rights groups over his approach. Mr. Bukele has notably supported U.S. President Donald Trump's deportation campaign, taking in hundreds of expelled Venezuelan migrants under contentious legal grounds and housing them at the country's notorious CECOT penitentiary. The constitutional reforms came after a wave of arrests targeting human rights defenders and government critics, prompting dozens of journalists and humanitarian workers to flee the country. One of the few opposition lawmakers in the unicameral legislature, Marcela Villatoro, criticised the reforms on Thursday (July 31, 2025), saying, 'today, democracy has died in El Salvador.' Mr. Bukele argued that the changes brought El Salvador into line with parliamentary systems where the prime minister can hold office indefinitely. Critics will 'rush to point out that 'a parliamentary system isn't the same as a presidential one,' as if that technicality justifies the double standard,' he wrote in his post. 'But let's be honest, that's just a pretext. Because if El Salvador declared itself a parliamentary monarchy with the exact same rules as the U.K., Spain, or Denmark, they still wouldn't support it,' he added, claiming critics would 'go ballistic if that happened'. With its reform, El Salvador joins Nicaragua and Venezuela as Latin American nations without presidential term limits.
News18
20 minutes ago
- News18
'False Figures Being Floated': ECI Refutes Chidambaram's 'Absurd' Migrant Voters Claim
Last Updated: The ECI hit back at Chidambaram, who criticised the poll body over the ongoing SIR exercise in Bihar, and suggested that migrant workers were registered as voters in Tamil Nadu. The Election Commission of India hit back at senior Congress leader P Chidambaram's allegations on the 'inclusion of migrant voters" in Tamil Nadu, saying that the figures were false and misleading. The poll body's response came after Chidambaram lashed out at the ECI over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, questioning how it concluded that several lakh voters in Bihar have 'permanently migrated", resulting in 'deletion" of their names from the voters' list. He also suggested that migrant workers were being registered as voters in Tamil Nadu. 'While 65 lakh voters are in danger of being disenfranchised in Bihar, reports of 'adding" 6.5 lakh persons as voters in Tamil Nadu are alarming and patently illegal. Calling them 'permanently migrated" is an insult to the migrant workers and a gross interference in the right of the electorate of Tamil Nadu to elect a government of its choice," he said on X. 'A person to be enrolled as a voter must have a fixed and permanent legal home. The migrant worker has such a home in Bihar (or another state). How can he/she be enrolled as a voter in Tamil Nadu?" Chidambaram said. 'Absurd, Misleading' In a fact-check post on X, the Election Commission said such statements are misleading and baseless. 'There is no need for political leaders to spread false information with respect to the SIR exercise being conducted by ECI at the national level," it said. 'It has come to the notice of the ECI that such information is being deliberately peddled in the media with a view to obstructing the exercise. As far as voters who have permanently shifted from Bihar to other states and are ordinarily resident in those states, the exact figures can be known only after the SIR has been conducted." The poll body said some 'false figures are being floated" about the enrollment of 6.5 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu. 'SIR has not yet been rolled out in Tamil Nadu. It is therefore absurd to connect the SIR exercise in Bihar with TN. Such peddling of false statements with respect to SIR should be avoided," it added. The ECI also said a person originally belonging to Tamil Nadu, but ordinarily residing in Delhi, is entitled to be registered as an Elector in Delhi as per Section 19(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Amid the claims over the deletion of names from the voters' list in Bihar, the ECI on Sunday said that not a single claim or objection has been filed by any political party since the publication of the draft electoral rolls on August 1. The opposition has been protesting in both Houses of Parliament against the SIR, alleging the EC's exercise was aimed at 'disenfranchising voters" in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections. They have been demanding a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Election Commission (ECI) view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 03, 2025, 20:12 IST News india 'False Figures Being Floated': ECI Refutes Chidambaram's 'Absurd' Migrant Voters Claim Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
