The Calcutta High Court has called for the renaming of a lioness named Sita and a lion named Akbar due to controversy surrounding the names. The court s decision came in response to a petition filed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The judge questioned the rationale behind giving controversial names to animals and emphasized the importance of avoiding unnecessary controversy.
Single-judge Justice Saugata Bhattacharya said a lion can be seen at the foot of Goddess Durga and that one cannot imagine an image of Durga without a lion.