When home minister Amit Shah prodded his police to buy only “swadeshi”, he probably didn’t realise he needed to define the term.

Last week, the Central Police Canteens (CPC) delisted over 1,000 “non-swadeshi” products, which included at least 18 by Dabur and 5 by Usha International, apart from many others by Indian companies like VIP, Nestle India, Prestige and Bajaj.

A red-faced CRPF on Monday hurriedly withdrew the list, issued on May 29 by the CPC, which supplies goods from food products to automobiles to the families of past and present central force personnel at subsidised prices.

“This is clarified that the list issued by Kendriya Police Kalyan Bhandar on May 29, 2020, regarding de-listing of certain products has been erroneously issued at the level of CEO. The list has been withdrawn and action is being initiated for the lapse,” a statement from the CRPF, which runs the CPC, said on Monday.

Sources in the CPC said the May 29 order — which was to come into effect from Monday — had the “approval of competent authority”, but the home ministry contested this saying the list was still being finalised.

“A revised list will be issued soon. The officer who issued the order exceeded his brief. Action is being initiated against him,” a ministry official said.

Shah had announced on April 13 that all canteens that cater to the central armed police forces would sell only “swadeshi” (indigenous) products from June 1.

The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to Indians to turn “vocal for local”, not just buying but promoting local goods.

The May 29 order issued by the CRPF deputy inspector -general in charge of CPC, R.M. Meena, had said: “In pursuance to the decision taken by home ministry, only swadeshi goods will be sold through KPK Bhandars with effect from 1st June, 2020.”

It delisted 1,026 product brands, including many from foreign companies such as Skechers, Red Bull, LG Electronics, Nivea, Panasonic, Samsung, Timex and Tommy Hilfiger.

Among the banned products are Adidas body spray, Gillette’s shaving range products and L’Oreal Maybelline Kajal.

Sources in the central paramilitary forces said Shah’s April 13 announcement had led to confusion over what constituted swadeshi, especially whether the term extended to products made in foreign companies’ manufacturing units in India.

Because of this confusion, all the 1,700 canteens under the CPC had put on hold all procurements since Shah’s announcement, they said.

The CPCs cater to the families of the 10-lakh-strong central police forces. Since 2007, the families of retired central force personnel and those of serving state police personnel too have been using these canteens.

These canteens’ yearly purchases collectively come to around Rs 2,800 crore, the sources said.

Among the products they stock are cosmetics and toiletries, electrical and electronic appliances, kitchen appliances, packaged food, grocery, uniform sets and accoutrements, lifestyle products, footwear, hosiery, textile goods, helmets and even automobiles.

Some 421 firms are registered with the CPC.