Notice to Amazon over "deceptive trade practices" with Ram Temple prasad

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), an arm of the Union consumer affairs ministry, has issued notices to Amazon India, responding to a complaint by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). The notice accuses Amazon of "deceptive trade practices" in the sale of sweets under the name 'Shri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad', as per reports by agencies.

CCPA chief Rohit Kumar Singh examined CAIT's complaint, highlighting sweets on Amazon falsely claiming to be Ayodhya Ram Temple prasad, reports said.

"Enabling the sale of food products online that make false representations misleads consumers regarding the genuine characteristics of the product. Such practice falsely influences consumers to make purchase decisions they might not have otherwise taken, had the accurate attributes of the product been mentioned," the CCPA said in a statement, reported NDTV.

"On Amazon's platform, various products listed under 'Sri Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad' are Raghupati Ghee Ladoo, Ayodhya Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad, Khoya Khobi Ladoo, Ram Mandir Ayodhya Prasad - Desi Cow Milk Peda," reported NDTV.

According to the Hindu, the Central government utilised Rule 4(3) of the 2020 Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules, preventing unjust business practices by online platforms. Misleading ads, as per Section 2(28) of the 2019 Consumer Protection Act, encompass false product descriptions. Amazon is given seven days to respond to CCPA's inquiry, with potential actions under the 2019 Consumer Protection Act if the deadline is ignored.