Ahmedabad: Over 190 activists on Wednesday requested the Union government to ask food and beverages giant PepsiCo India to withdraw its "false" cases against Gujarat farmers for allegedly illegally growing a variety of potatoes "registered" by the company.

Nine farmers from Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts have been dragged to court by PepsiCo for allegedly growing a variety of potatoes for which it has claimed Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. The multinational giant has sought damages of Rs 1 crore from each of four farmers in its suit at a court in Ahmedabad, and Rs 20 lakh from each of the farmers sued at a district court in Modasa, activists said at a press conference.