Gurugram: A little over a year after participating in Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, and many months after asking people to “Vote Hooda Saab to power” during a public event to felicitate her, World Boxing Champion and Haryana’s Bhim Award winner Saweety Boora Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
The others who joined the BJP at the event organised by the party in its state office in Rohtak were Boora’s husband Deepak Niwas Hooda, a former Indian Kabaddi captain and an Arjuna awardee; former minister Krishan Murti Hooda; and former deputy speaker of Vidhan Sabha, Azad Mohammad.
“I am highly impressed by the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national interest and how he has maintained India’s image in the world. If I get a chance, I would like to contribute to the service of the country under his leadership. I am joining the BJP tomorrow in Rohtak in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar,” Boora said in a video posted by Haryana BJP on X at around midnight Sunday.
In another video message, also posted by Haryana BJP on X, Deepak Niwas Hooda said, “I want to give a piece of important information. I am going to have a new beginning in my life. Inspired by historical decisions like scrapping of Article 370, the consecration of Ram Temple, bestowing Bharat Ratna to the Messiah of farmers Chaudhary Charan Singh, and various decisions taken for the promotion of sports in the country. I will join the BJP.”
In the video, he also praised CM Khattar for his slogan “Haryana Ek, Haryanvi Ek (Haryana is one, people of the state are united).
Political observers see the recent inductions as the BJP’s efforts to corner former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda and his son Deepender Hooda ahead of parliamentary elections and assembly polls for Haryana, both due this year.
While Saweety is from Ghirai village of Hisar, Deepak is from Chamaria village, which falls in Hooda’s Garhi Sampla-Kiloi assembly constituency.
Political analyst Hemant Atri said that the BJP has been desperately looking for someone to field from Rohtak against Deepender Singh Hooda ever since the party received feedback that this is a weak seat for them.
“According to an internal survey by the BJP, Rohtak and Sirsa were found to be the two seats where the party was considered weak. They have already roped in Ashok Tanwar, a former MP from Sirsa, and now the BJP is bringing in Saweety Boora and her husband Deepak Niwas Hooda to the party. Whether the party eventually fields Tanwar from Sirsa or Boora or Hooda from Rohtak will depend on what the BJP thinks at the time of ticket distribution. But the timing of them joining the party and what they have said in their video messages, would suggest so,” said Atri to ThePrint.
BJP Haryana spokesperson Sanjay Sharma, however, maintained that the party doesn’t bring anyone into its fold with promises made before joining.
“I am not ruling anything out. Tomorrow the party may decide to field Saweety Boora or Deepak Niwas Hooda in the election like it can field any other party worker. But there are no promises made at the time of joining,” Sharma told ThePrint.
Speaking to ThePrint, Boora maintained this stance, saying that they joined the BJP impressed by PM Modi’s policies. “It is up to the party to determine how they wish to utilise our services,” she said. Boora added that given that she is still active in sports, if the party were to consider either her or her husband for a candidacy from Rohtak, the family felt Deepak would be the more suitable choice.
Asked if she planned to resign from her job as an income tax officer, Boora said that she would if and when she contests elections, otherwise she will continue with her job.
On the matter of her changing her political allegiance from the Congress to the BJP, she said that she participated in Bharat Jodo Yatra and appealed to people to vote for Bhupinder Singh Hooda at the instance of an acquaintance who was from the Congress.
“I was not in active politics at that time. Now that we have joined the BJP, we will work wholeheartedly for the party,” she said.
Boora, however, added that she still stands with wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who have protested against BJP leader and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Singh. “My major objective of joining politics is to work for the welfare of our sportspersons,” she added.
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Saweety’s journey
Born in Hisar to farmer Mahender Singh who played basketball at the national level, Saweety Boora (31) is a gold medallist in the World Championship as well as the Asian Championship, and a recipient of the Bhim Award, the highest sports award given by the Haryana Government. She is an officer in the Income Tax Department.
Bkoora was a state-level Kabaddi player before she switched to boxing in 2009. Her younger sister Siwi, too, is an international boxer.
On 25 March, 2023, Boora became the World Champion in the light heavyweight category after defeating Wang Lina of China.
“Exceptional performance by @saweetyboora! Proud of her for winning the Gold Medal in Women’s Boxing World Championships. Her success will inspire many upcoming athletes,” Modi had said in an X post following her win.
Among others who posted congratulatory messages for her on X included Rahul Gandhi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Khattar, and Bhupinder Singh Hooda, among others.
The Income Tax Department, too, posted a congratulatory message for Boora, who was then an inspector. In June last year, she was promoted to the post of Income Tax Officer.
On 26 June, 2023, the IT Department had posted a picture of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman giving a letter of promotion to Saweety Boora on X.
Hon’ble Union Finance Minister, Smt @nsitharaman ji hands out promotion letters to athletes Shri Abhishek Verma and Ms. @saweetyboora, both serving as Income Tax officials in New Delhi, who have been given ‘out of turn’ promotion following their spectacular performances in their… pic.twitter.com/hxjUOhiNN5
— Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) June 26, 2023
Days after Boora had won the World Wrestling championship, CM Khattar gave her a cheque of Rs 40 lakh and an offer for Group B job on March 30.
However, in an event organised to felicitate her in her native village Ghirai in Hisar on 9 April last year, she had asked people to vote for Hooda.
On April 28 last year, she posted a message on X tagging Modi, ministers Kiren Rijiju and Anurag Thakur, and wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia saying that her heart bleeds at the plight of those who won medals for the country.
A documentary titled Chhori Mukkebaaz, on Boora’s journey was released on Stage, an OTT platform for Haryanvi and Rajasthani dialects.
Boora also won a silver in World Boxing Championship in Jelu City (Korea) 2014, a silver in Asian Championship in Amman (Jordan) in 2022, one in 2015 in Wulanchabu (China) and a bronze in Dubai in 2021.
Her husband Deepak was part of the Indian team which won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games. He has also featured in all the seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League.
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