Al Haqeeqa
Former chairman of the Shia Waqf Board, Wasim Rizvi, has reportedly changed his name once again. Initially rechristened as Jitendra Narayan Tyagi after converting to Hinduism in December 2021, he has now adopted the name Thakur Jitendra Narayan Singh Sengar.
According to Bharat Samachar, Rizvi stated that his previous name did not make him “feel special” and therefore opted for this new identity.
Rizvi gained significant media attention when he converted to Hinduism during a ceremony at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, where he was renamed by controversial right-wing Hindutva figure Swami Yati Narsinghanand as Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi.
His conversion was marked by a yagna and rituals that included offerings to Hindu deities.
Controversies & legal troubles
Since then, he has been a controversial figure, often making headlines for his provocative statements and actions against Islam, including a petition to remove certain verses from the Quran and the publication of a contentious book about Prophet Muhammad.
Rizvi has also been implicated in several legal cases over the years. In November 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered two cases against him related to alleged irregularities in the sale and transfer of waqf properties in Uttar Pradesh.
These investigations stemmed from earlier police complaints dating back to 2016 and 2017, which accused him of criminal trespass, cheating, and breach of trust.
Furthermore, in February 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government sanctioned the prosecution of Rizvi for promoting enmity through illegal construction at a religious site in Prayagraj.
