Coke, Pepsi Pulled From Shelves In Southern India

(RTTNews) - Thousands of retailers across Tamil Nadu, the drought-hit southern state in India, has launched a boycott campaign against products of beverage giants PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola alleging that the companies were using up ground water.

Shopkeepers in Tamil Nadu began removing Pepsi and Coke from their shelves on Wednesday after a call by the state's Traders Federation to boycott the soft drink giants.

According to the association, the call for boycott was because the soft-drink makers were draining too much water. However, another reason seems to be that the association is targeting the American brands because PETA had pushed the 2014 ban on the popular local tradition of bull-taming.

Earlier, the Madras High Court quashed two PILs against supplying water to soft drink companies including Pepsi and Coca-Cola from the Thamirabarani river in Tirunelvelli.

The court lifted its stay order from last November and said that the water supply will not be curbed.