New Delhi, Sep 29
Former Uttar Pradesh-cadre IAS officer Divya Mittal on Tuesday announced her entry into politics, days after resigning from the administrative service. She said her political journey would begin in Uttar Pradesh and that she would work with the people rather than aligning herself with any political party.
Calling herself the 'voice of the people', Mittal said her political journey would focus on accountability, justice and addressing issues faced by ordinary citizens.
In a video message, she said, “Hello, I am Divya Mittal. Just a few days ago, I resigned from the IAS, and left many questions in your mind. I did not answer for a few days because the work was huge and I was gathering courage, but today I have come to answer those questions. What next? With whom and from where?”
“The first question is what next? Politics. People told me that you have become everything; what else do you want to become? I want to become a voice, the voice of those people whose voice does not reach any office and, even if it reaches, is not heard. I want an account of the 80 years of my country's independence,” she said.
Recalling her experience while inspecting the water supply system in Lahuria Dah, Mittal said a woman from the village had approached her seeking a school beyond Class 5. She said she initially expected the woman to seek assistance related to a pension or a house.
Mittal said she examined the rules, approved the school, and despite three years having passed, construction had not begun.
“There was just no will. If there had been will, even the mountain would have given way, but if there had been no will, a single file became a mountain,” she said, adding that she wanted accountability for such delays.
Recalling another incident from her tenure as Special Secretary, Mittal said a landless man approached her with documents claiming he had been allotted government land but had not received possession. She said an inquiry found the report submitted in the matter to be incorrect. After she intervened, the report was withdrawn, and the person responsible was prosecuted, she said. However, the issue of possession remained unresolved.
Mittal also highlighted the lack of roads and bridges in villages, poor road conditions and the difficulties faced by children and families during the monsoon. She questioned whether repeated accidents caused by such infrastructure deficiencies should continue to be treated merely as accidents.
She also spoke about the future of young people, including concerns over examination paper leaks, prolonged recruitment processes and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. As a mother of two daughters, she said she was concerned about the future children would face.
“Today, there is everything in our politics, there is power, there is noise, but there is no thinking. I want an account of that lack of thinking,” she said.
“We will have to change the politics. I will do politics, but not with anyone or any party. But with you all,” Mittal said, adding that she would fight from Uttar Pradesh.
Mittal, a 2013-batch IAS officer, resigned from the service after nearly 13 years. Her resignation was accepted in September. She served as District Magistrate in districts including Mirzapur and Deoria and was known for her work on providing piped water to remote villages in Mirzapur.
Her announcement comes after weeks of speculation about her future following her resignation. She had earlier said she would reveal her next step on September 29.
