‘Terror has no religion’ remark costs influencer; UP tourism turns away after Pahalgam terrorist attack

Pahalgam terror attack - the devastating killings not only led India to downgrade diplomatic ties with Pakistan, but also made tourism departments of some Indian states distance themselves from influencers, following their take on the attacks.

After Instagram influencer Tanya Mittal’s comments that ‘terrorism has no religion’ sparked widespread outrage online, the Uttar Pradesh government came out and said that she was not associated with the state's tourism department.

Tanya Mittal associated with UP and MP tourism?

Citing the influencer's Instagram bio, several social media posts and users claimed that Tanya Mittal serves as the brand ambassador of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh's tourism departments.

Although Tanya Mittal's bio does not mention any of the states, one X user alleged that she removed it after UP tourism denied any associations with her.

LiveMint could not independently verify the authenticity of the claims made by various social media users.

What did Tanya Mittal say about Pahalgam terror attack?

In a video, Tanya Mittal claimed that “terrorism has no religion”, and added how several Kashmiri locals helped her friends who had been stuck in the UT after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Here's the full video:

LiveMint could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.

What did UP tourism say?

In response to Tanya Mittal's comments about the Pahalgam terror attack, the UP tourism stated : “ It is hereby clarified that Social Media Influencer Ms. 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 advised to disregard such assertions and treat them with the utmost caution.”

Pahalgam terror attack

In retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed around 26 people, majorly tourists, India has downgraded diplomatic ties with Pakistan and taken several measures, including the expulsion of its military attachés, closing the Attari and Octroi checkposts, and suspending visa services to Pakistani nationals, while revoking existing visas.