Hindu Nationalists Attack Pepsi Warehouse

Hindu nationalists torched a PepsiCo warehouse and picketed U.S. government offices in western India to protest the cancellation of a U.S. visa for the elected head of Gujarat state.

Nearly 150 activists from the Bajrang Dal party barged into the warehouse in Surat city in Gujarat, smashed bottles and set fire to parts of the building, said Dharmesh Joshi, a witness. They also ransacked a nearby PepsiCo office, he said. The protesters carried placards reading “Down With the United States.”

The State Department had no immediate comment. On Friday, the U.S. revoked Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s visa, citing his role in 2002 religious riots in the state.