On Thursday (16th February), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) filed a plea before the Calcutta High Court after the West Bengal forest department named a lioness ‘Sita’ and kept it in the same enclosure as a lion named after Mughal tyrant ‘Akbar’.
As per reports, the felines were brought to the Safari Park in Siliguri from the Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura. The forest officials had claimed that the lion and lioness were re-christened even before they arrived at Siliguri on 13th February this year.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that the decision by the West Bengal forest officials amounted to a direct assault on the religious beliefs of the Hindu community. The Hindu outfit has demanded an immediate change to the name of the lioness ‘Sita.’
The petition read, “Vishwa Hindu Parishad has with deep anguish observed that a species of cat family has been named after the name of “SITA” the consort of Lord Rama and she is sacred deity to all Hindus across the world. Such act amounts to blasphemy and is a direct assault on the religious belief of all Hindus.”
“That to the utmost surprise of the petitioners on 14/02/2024 Uttar Banga Sambad carried a news item with the heading “Sangir khoje astir Sita” (Sita restless in search of a partner). Incidentally the male lion was given the name of “Akbar”. The said article and indicated in a lewd way and represented the news in a much objection manner which was bound to hurt the religious sentiments of all Hindus across the country,” VHP further emphasised.
The petition has now been listed for hearing before the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya on 20th February 2024.
