Traders' body CAIT on Thursday appealed to celebrities to stop endorsing products of Chinese brands as a mark of respect for Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Galwan Valley attack in Ladakh.

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In an open letter, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has appealed Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Virat Kohli and others to stop endorsing Chinese products.

It has also invited Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dixit, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and others to join the campaign to boycott Chinese products under its flagship national movement 'Bharatiya Saaman-Hamara Abhiman'.

CAIT Secretary-General Praveen Khandelwal in the letter to indian celebrities said that at a time when "China's army in the most clandestine manner has committed a barbaric attack on the Indian army at Ladakh border, the heart of every Indian is filled with deep anguish, resentment and abhorrence against the atrocities of the Chinese and their persistent attitude of antagonism towards India".

The Confederation also said it will help the government reduce imports from China by USD 13 billion (about Rs 1 lakh crore) by December 2021 with the cooperation of traders and citizens of India. Currently, the annual import from China in India stands at USD 70 billion or around Rs 5.25 lakh crore.

The open letter of CAIT further stated that from the information available in public domain, traders of the country particularly request Aamir Khan, Sara Ali Khan, Virat Kohli for Vivo, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Badshah, Siddharth Malhotra and Ranbir Kapoor for Oppo, Ranveer Singh for Xiaomi, Salman Khan, Ayushman Khurana & Shradha Kapoor for Realme and all others who are endorsing any Chinese products to stop endorsing these Chinese brands as a mark of respect for Indian soldiers.

At least 20 Indian Army soldiers, including a Colonel, died in a violent clash with Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh sector on Monday night.

First Published:Jun 18, 2020 11:32 PM IST