Walmart took down objectionable products from its website, notably bath suits and slippers with prints of Hindu deities, after an outrage on Saturday.

Hindu American Foundation (HAF), an advocacy organisation for the rights of Hindu-Americans criticised the ‘disrespectful misuse of Hindu imagery on slippers and bathing suits’ on Saturday.

“Dear @Walmart: Disrespect is not fashionable. Hindu deities like Ganesha hold profound spiritual significance for over a billion followers worldwide. Items like slippers and bathing suits featuring sacred imagery demean the reverence with which these symbols are held,” said HAF.

“We have formally reached out to Walmart, urging the immediate discontinuation of these items. We call on you to stand for respect and cultural sensitivity,” the organisation added.

In a photo shared by HAF on Instagram, a print of Hindu god Ganesh can be seen on products such as slippers and bathing suits.

“In the past several years we’ve seen Ganesh toilet seats, Kali underwear, Krishna bathmats, Om flip flops, and countless other items displaying Hindu sacred imagery in ways that many Hindus find disrespectful at best or downright offensive at worst,” according to HAF.

The HAF has also set ‘guidelines for commercial use of Hindu images’ which barres usage of Hindu images on Bathmats, toilet seats or seat covers; underwear (men’s or women’s), socks, pants or shorts; footwear, of any type and material; swimwear; door mats, rugs; alcohol, meat; yoga mats, skateboards, anything where the image is likely to be destroyed through normal intended usage, intended to be stepped upon; anything intended to be placed in spaces reserved for defecation, or placed on or near bodily organs of reproduction and elimination.

“It is also the responsibility of retailers to educate their employees who review such complaints about what is generally considered acceptable use of Hindu imagery (as well as sacred imagery in general, regardless of faith tradition),” said HAF.

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