NEW DELHI: Health Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to say she had noted the charges made against the U.S. multinationals and ordered a high-level investigation. She said the revelation by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an environmental non-governmental organisation that tested samples of 12 soft drink brands in and around New Delhi, was a matter of serious concern. "When I came to know about the report yesterday (Tuesday) through electronic media, I directed all concerned officials to gather all the facts," she said. "The government will act upon the collective wisdom of the house. I will apprise the house of all the facts in the matter," Swaraj told protesting MPs. Earlier, during zero hour, in a rare display of unanimity, the entire Lok Sabha voiced serious concern over the CSE report and demanded that Pepsi and Coca-Cola products be immediately be banned all over the country. Raising the issue, Ramji Lal Suman of the Samajwadi Party said the two companies were serving poison in their soft drinks. The Bureau of Indian Standards has not taken any action in this regard, he said. "These foreign companies are playing with the lives of our children." The CSE rattled the $1.2 billion soft drinks market in India by alleging that a dozen popular brands of Coca-Cola and Pepsi sold here contained a deadly cocktail of pesticide residues. It said the pesticides found in their brands could cause cancer, damage the nervous and reproductive systems, and also cause severe disruption of the immune system. The CSE analysed the contents of 12 brands owned by the U.S. majors -- Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, Mirinda orange, Mirinda lemon, Blue Pepsi, 7-Up, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Limca, Sprite and Thums Up -- sold in and around New Delhi. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have denied the charges and vowed to sue CSE. Supporting Suman, Suresh Jadhav of the Shiv Sena said the government should ban the two firms, which, he alleged, were "using pesticides to kill our innocent children". He accused the government of not setting any standards for the firms. Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress party said the CSE reports had triggered panic across the country. "The government must ban such soft drinks," he thundered. Even Vijay Kumar Malhotra, chief whip of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), lent his voice to the demand. "I want to know whether the government is considering a ban on these soft drink companies or not," he said. During the discussion, it was announced that the Parliament canteens would stop serving Pepsi and Coca-Cola beverages.
Source: IANS