April 1 (Reuters) - Facing criticism for staying largely quiet or being vague about a new controversial voting law in Georgia, some major U.S. companies came out with strong statements against the restrictions, which civil rights groups say unfairly target Black and other racial minority voters. Companies including Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines were facing boycott calls, while a campaign from dozens of leading Black executives pushing for corporations to take a stand added to the growing critical chorus. Below are statements from various companies and their executives on the Georgia voting law: Company Statement Coca-Cola Co : CEO James Quincey called the law "unacceptable" and "a step backwards." He told CNBC the law is "wrong and it needs to be remedied." (bit.ly/31AmxK7) Delta Air Lines Inc : CEO Ed Bastian blasted the law: "The entire rationale for this bill was based on a lie: that there was widespread voter fraud in Georgia in the 2020 elections." He said the law was "unacceptable", and did not match Delta"s values. (bit.ly/2PsD3cD) It was a course reversal for Delta, which had earlier praised the law even as it acknowledged having concerns. (bit.ly/3sHTyQt) Citigroup Inc "As an American, I am appalled by the recent voter suppression laws passed in the state of Georgia," Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason said. "I see it as a disgrace that our country"s efforts to keep Black Americans from engaging fully in our Constitutional right to vote continue to this day." (bit.ly/3rBWT2d) Apple Inc "Apple believes that, thanks in part to the power of technology, it ought to be easier than ever for every eligible citizen to exercise their right to vote. We support efforts to ensure that our democracy’s future is more hopeful and inclusive than its past," CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. Microsoft Corp Company President Brad Smith said provisions of the law signed last week "unfairly restrict the rights of people to vote legally, securely, and safely." (bit.ly/2PLJlUB) Alphabet Inc "We"re concerned about efforts to restrict voting at a local level and we strongly support the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act," Google"s senior vice-president of global affairs Kent Walker said. (bit.ly/3whFU8S) Merck & Co Inc The drugmaker tweeted a statement from CEO Kenneth Frazier taking a stand on the Georgia law, saying "Democracy rests on ensuring that every eligible voter has an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot, free from restrictions that have a discriminatory impact." (bit.ly/2QY3jfm) American Express Co CEO Steve Squeri said the company stands "against any efforts to suppress voting which is a fundamental right that belongs to all Americans," and was in support of former CEO"s Kenneth Chenault"s call for corporations to take a harder stance against voting restrictions. (bit.ly/2PLfewz) Cisco Systems Inc CEO Chuck Robbins tweeted "Governments should be working to make it easier to vote, not harder. Ensuring equal #VotingRights isn"t a political issue, it"s an issue of right and wrong." (bit.ly/3ugvbth) BlackRock Inc CEO Larry Fink said "BlackRock is concerned about efforts that could limit access to the ballot for anyone. Voting should be easy and accessible for ALL eligible voters. (bit.ly/2Oi2Fsc) Home Depot Inc "We believe that all elections should be accessible, fair and secure and support broad voter participation. We"ll continue to work to ensure our associates, both in Georgia and across the country, have the information and resources to vote," the company said in a statement. JPMorgan Chase & Co "We regularly encourage our employees to exercise their fundamental right to vote, and we stand against efforts that may prevent them from being able to do so," CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement. (Reporting by Uday Sampath and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Bernard Orr)