The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has lodged a petition with the Calcutta High Court concerning the co-housing of lioness ‘Sita’ and lion ‘Akbar’ at Siliguri Safari Park. The petition raises concerns about the implications of naming and housing these lions together, invoking religious sentiments.
Kolkata: The Bengal wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has initiated legal action by filing a petition at the Calcutta High Court’s Circuit Bench in Jalpaiguri.
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The petition challenges the decision of the forest department regarding the housing of a lion named ‘Akbar’ alongside a lioness named ‘Sita’ within the same enclosure at Siliguri’s Safari Park. The incident comes in light of recent events where the pair was relocated from the Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura to Siliguri’s Safari Park on February 13th.
The plea was brought before Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya’s bench on February 16th and is scheduled for a hearing on February 20th.
Forest department officials have clarified that the lions were not renamed upon arrival, indicating that ‘Akbar’ and ‘Sita’ were their pre-existing names. It’s worth noting that ‘Akbar’ is historically associated with one of the eminent Mughal Emperors, while ‘Sita’ is a revered figure from Valmiki’s Ramayana, esteemed in Hindu mythology.
VHP contends that the naming of the lions by the State’s forest department and their cohabitation of ‘Sita’ with ‘Akbar’ represent an affront to Hindu sentiments.
Consequently, the religious organization demands a change in the lioness’s name. The case has cited the State’s Forest Authorities and the director of Bengal’s Safari Park as respondents.
The upcoming hearing on February 20th will further deliberate on the matter, determining the course of action regarding the lions’ naming and housing arrangements.