Tanya Mittal, who claimed to be associated with the tourism departments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, found herself at the centre of a controversy after she shared her views on the Pahalgam terror attack. Mittal, in a now-deleted video from her social media, said that “terrorism has no religion”. Following this, many started tagging official accounts of tourism departments of both states, wondering if they need such people as “brand ambassadors”. The UP and MP tourism departments have distanced themselves from her, saying she is not associated with them in any capacity.
After the departments clarified, Mittal has also removed the mention of MP Tourism and Uttar Pradesh Tourism from her Instagram page, as per screenshots that are all over social media. FinancialExpress.com cannot independently verify this claim. It now says that she is the “youngest millionaire” and the winner of Miss Asia 2018. She also claims to have won over 400 awards.
Pahalgam terror attack: What did Tanya Mittal say?
Expressing her views on the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists in south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22, Mittal said, “Sometimes, you are not in the right mental state to say anything about certain things. Some of my friends were also stuck there, but they safely reached Srinagar yesterday. Saying anything on this issue is critical and sensitive for me because in the media, there is talk of terrorists and terrorism. I, on the other hand, think terrorism has no religion.”
She reiterated that “terrorism has no religion”, adding that local Kashmiri people helped her friends reach Srinagar safely. “It was the Kashmiri locals who helped my friends — people who had no connection to that incident. They took them in and ensured they reached Srinagar safely. If we think about it, what happened was very wrong, but what could happen afterwards might be even worse. This is a time when all of us need to think about this sensitively — that terrorism has no religion. India has only one religion, that is, Bhartia. We are all Indians, and we are together in this,” she said.
Tourism departments issue statements
“Please note that Tanya Mittal is not associated with MP Tourism in any capacity,” wrote Madhya Pradesh Tourism on X (formerly Twitter).
Please note that Ms. Tanya Mittal is not associated with MP Tourism in any capacity.
— Madhya Pradesh Tourism (@MPTourism) April 25, 2025
Uttar Pradesh Tourism too disasssociated itself from the influencer. In an “important public notice” on social media, the department said, “It is hereby clarified that social media influencer Tanya Mittal holds no official role, endorsement, or affiliation with the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh.”
“Any claims suggesting otherwise are entirely false, misleading, and without any basis in fact. It is strongly advises to disregard such assertions and treat them with utmost caution.”
One social media user, in response to UP tourism department’s post, said, “She already did enough damage during Mahakhumbh.”
“Take legal action against her for degrading the name of UP tourism,” suggested another.
A third commented, “You took too much time. She was using your name for a long time for her fame.”
“Good to know, if she has used it on her profile, then book a case against her,” suggested yet another social media user.
A fifth, while sharing a screenshot of her profile, asked, “Then why has she used it on her profile?” adding that “she needs to be booked.”