New Delhi: Hours before the chariot wheels start rolling in Odisha’s Puri, for the 2025 Rath Yatra, on Friday, a major row has broken out on social media, with netizens accusing Reliance of hurting religious sentiments by using the festival – celebrated globally – to promote its soft drink brand Campa Cola.
A #boycottcampa campaign has also been launched online with photographs of a Campa Cola advertisement in Odia, displaying the image of the soft drink being sprinkled on what seems to be the revered Sri Jagannath Temple of Puri from where the Rath Yatra begins.
On Rath Yatra, millions of devotees from across the world pull the three Raths, or chariots, carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra, through the streets of Puri. Smaller versions of this event take place across the country and also abroad.
“No brand should take advantage of religious sentiments for profit,” a user said. “Campa Cola must issue an apology and honor the temple of Lord Jagannath,” he added.
“You can’t rebrand a mistake into a movement. There’s a reason why Campa Cola was forgotten,” another netizen remarked.
Another social media user posted how the Mukesh Ambani-led group had tried to use Operation Sindoor as a trademark for financial gain, but failed.
“Abhishek of Mahaprabhu with Campa Cola? This is not only indecent but also unacceptable! This is an attack on the sentiments of our Hindus,” Ganesh Pansare posted.
“Commercial greed should never override spiritual reverence,” Raghav Sawant wrote, while Shivam Patil posted that “Religious symbols are not props for brand promotion. Campa Cola has gone too far.”
Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL), the FMCG division of Reliance Industries Limited, is now the owner of Campa Cola.
