Jandals bearing the face of one of India's most revered figures - Mahatma Gandhi - have been removed from sale on Amazon after they caused anger in India.
Mahatma Gandhi. Photo: AFP
The row comes days after AmazonTa apologised for selling doormats featuring the Indian flag.
Gandhi, who campaigned for independence from Britain, is widely revered and known as the Father of the Nation.
The Indian embassy in Washington had been told to tell Amazon US to respect Indian feelings, a foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying.
The Indian government's Secretary of Economic Affairs Shaktikanta Das was among those to express anger on social media, telling Amazon its "indifference to Indian symbols" would be "at your own peril".
He later said that he wrote as a citizen and was not threatening government action against the company.
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj took to Twitter to demand that Amazon "apologise unconditionally" or its officials would not get visas.
Amazon India vice-president Amit Agarwal wrote to Ms Swaraj saying the doormats were offered by a third-party seller on its Canadian website and there was no intent to offend.
Mr Agarwal said in a statement that the firm was "committed to respecting Indian laws and customs".
Desecration of the flag is punishable with fines and imprisonment in India.
Last June Amazon found itself in a similar controversy over sales of doormats illustrating Hindu gods.
Amazon has not commented on the latest controversy, but removed the jandals from its US site.
- BBC