VHP files petition before HC circuit bench over naming of lioness as 'Sita'

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has filed a petition before the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of Calcutta High Court claiming that a lioness transferred to Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri from Tripura was named "Sita" and prayed that the name be changed, VHP's lawyer said on Saturday, 17 February.

The park authorities, however, denied that any such name was given by it to the lioness.

Two lions were brought from Tripura's Sepahijala Zoological Park on 12 February. The lion was named "Akbar", the VHP claimed.

The VHP's north Bengal unit filed the petition on 16 February and the matter is likely to be heard on 20 February before a single bench of the court, petitioner's advocate on record Subhankar Dutta told PTI.

He said the petitioner has prayed that the name of the lioness be changed as such naming of an animal may hurt religious sentiments.

It was also urged that no animal in any zoological park be named after gods and goddesses of any religion in future, Dutta said.

The parishad's north Bengal unit said it learnt from media reports that a lion and lioness with markings as IL26 and IL27, respectively, arrived at the Bengali Safari Park as part of an animal exchange programme and that the lioness was named "Sita".

The park authorities asserted it had not named the two animals and the official naming was awaited.