The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has filed a petition with the Kolkata High Court’s circuit bench, objecting to the naming of a lioness brought to the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri as ‘Sita.’
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This lioness was paired with a lion named ‘Akbar.’ The VHP contends that the name ‘Sita’ is offensive to Hindu religious sentiments, as it is associated with a revered character from the epic Ramayana and a Hindu deity.
A lion and a lioness named Akbar and Sita were recently brought from Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoological Park to the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri as part of an animal exchange program.
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According to reports, the district chief of VHP, Dulal Chandra Ray, claimed that the name of the lioness was an attack on the Hindu religion.
The VHP’s counsel, Subhankar Dutta, alleged that the lioness and lion were named Akbar and Sita after arriving in West Bengal, but the Bengal Safari Park officials denied this and said they were already named before being moved. Both big cats were born in Sepahijala Zoological Park and are zoo-bred.
Dutta has expressed concern that the naming of a lioness as ‘Sita’ has offended the religious sensitivities of many individuals.
As a result, activists from the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Anup Kumar Mondol, and Lakshman Kumar Garwal have filed a case against this name. The legal proceedings for this case are scheduled for Tuesday, February 20.
