Performance: Replace strings.ToLower with strings.EqualFold

[vishnukothakapu]

Replaces unnecessary heap allocations for case-insensitive equality checks with standard library strings.EqualFold.

Fixes: #29526

Checklist

Ensure you have completed the following checklist for your pull request to be reviewed:

• I have read and understood our contributing guidelines and will not have more than two open PRs as a new contributor.
• PR description, commit message, and GitHub comments are human-written, per LLM Policy
• Certify you wrote the patch or otherwise have the right to pass it on as an open-source patch by signing all
  commits. (git commit -s). (If needed, use git commit -s --amend). The author email must match
  the sign-off email address. See CONTRIBUTING.md
  for more information.
• Referenced issues using Fixes: #29526 in commit message (if applicable)
• Tests have been added/updated (or no tests are needed)
• Documentation has been updated (or no documentation changes are needed)
• All commits pass make validatepr (format/lint checks)
• Release note entered in the section below (or None if no user-facing changes)

Does this PR introduce a user-facing change?

None

[mheon]

LGTM

[Honny1]

LGTM