Tripura Government Suspends Forest Official Amidst Controversy Over Naming Lions Akbar and Sita

Amidst a controversy surrounding the nomenclature of a zoo lion and lioness as Akbar and Sita, the Tripura government on Saturday suspended Prabin Lal Agrawal, the state's principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife and ecotourism) for allegedly naming the big cats. The suspension comes after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad filed a complaint to the Calcutta High Court, stating that religious sentiments were hurt over naming the lioness “Sita.”

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad had filed a petition to the Calcutta High Court requesting a name change as the name “Sita” juxtaposed with “Akbar” hurt their religious sentiments. Akbar was a Mughal Emperor, and Sita, the wife of Lord Rama is a Hindu deity worshipped all across the country. In its judgment, the Calcutta High Court had advised the West Bengal Zoo Authority to review the names. Questioning the necessity of naming them 'Sita' and 'Akbar', the court also queried the suitability of naming animals after religious figures, mythological characters, historical figures, or Nobel laureates.

The lions were transferred from Sepahijala Zoological Park in Tripura to the North Bengal Wild Animals Park in Siliguri, North Bengal, on February 12 as part of an animal exchange initiative. They were originally named in the Sepahijala Zoological Park and arrived at Siliguri with those names.​