Indian state suspends official after row over naming of 2 lions

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - The Indian northeastern state of Tripura suspended a senior forest official after a controversy erupted when two lions were named after the Hindu deity Sita and a 16th-century Muslim emperor Akbar.

A Hindu nationalist group in eastern India had filed a court case contesting the authorities' choice to name the lions that were kept in the same cage.

The High Court in West Bengal state later asked the state to consider renaming the lioness "Sita" to avoid controversy.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a right-wing Hindu organization said naming the lioness as "Sita” had “deeply offended Hindu sentiments, as Sita is a sacred deity to Hindus worldwide.”

The group said the lion and lioness kept at the West Bengal’s Safari Park, were brought from Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura state, as part of an animal exchange program.

The Tripura state suspended a top forest official, Pravin Lal Agrawal, while the disciplinary proceedings against him are “contemplated/pending.”

Vinod Bansal, the VHP's spokesperson, told Anadolu on Tuesday that they had asked the West Bengal authorities to rename the lioness.

“We have received a green signal from the West Bengal authorities that they are seriously thinking of changing the name of the lioness,” he said.

He also said the High Court in West Bengal is expected to hear the case next month.