The cats will now be called Suraj and Tanaya. (Representative via Getty Images)
The cats, now known as Suraj and Tanaya, have been at the center of controversy since the VHP filed a lawsuit alleging the names hurt religious sentiments.
What's in the name? Just ask Bengal cat couple Akbar and Sita, now known as Suraj and Tanaya.
The pair of lions and lioness, who were brought to the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri from Tripura on February 12 last year, have been at the center of controversy ever since the VHP filed a case in the Calcutta High Court claiming that the names hurt religious feelings.
The issue was heard and resolved in July, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee giving the big cats new names, finally bringing the saga to an end.
The state government told the court that the names were given by Tripura, where the lions come from. Attorney General Joyjit Choudhury said on Thursday: “The case has been disposed of. The dissatisfaction is that the state government gave this name. We have proved that it is not true. This is Tripura given by the state authorities. When we came to know about the matter, the name was changed by the Bengal Forest Department to avoid any controversy and the matter was sent to the competent authorities.
Reacting to the change, VHP lawyer Sudipto Majumdar told News18: “No animal should be named after any deity, we raised the point. Whoever did this, did it wrong. We took the above matter to the High Court for hearing. , the High Court also found the matter to be irregular and disturbing. During the hearing, the court itself recommended a name change and we are pleased that this recommendation has reportedly become a reality.
