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India’s ruling government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, faced significant criticism after women journalists were denied access to Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference in New Delhi, according to Indian news outlets.
Muttaqi was on a six-day visit to India, permitted to travel after receiving a temporary exemption from a travel ban issued by the UN Security Council (UNSC) Committee. This marked the first visit by an Afghan Taliban leader to India since 2021.
The previous day, India enhanced its relationship with Afghanistan’s Taliban government by announcing plans to reopen its embassy in Kabul, which was closed following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
During his visit, Muttaqi held a press conference at the Afghan embassy in Delhi. Despite multiple requests, security personnel and Delhi Police prevented women journalists from attending the event.
Opposition leaders condemned the Indian government for remaining silent on the incident, describing the exclusion of women reporters as an “insult to every Indian woman.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of women’s equal participation across all sectors, stating that the incident indicates Prime Minister Modi’s inability to defend women’s rights. He posted on X: “Mr. Modi, when you allow women journalists to be excluded from a public forum, you are telling every woman in India that you’re too weak to stand up for them.”
He added, “In our country, women have the right to participate equally in every space. Your silence over such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans about Nari Shakti [woman power].”
Senior Congress figure Priyanka Gandhi called for clarity from the government on the matter, questioning why such an insult to capable Indian women was allowed in a nation that prides itself on its women’s strength and dignity.
Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram criticized the media for not protesting the incident, suggesting male journalists present should have walked out in solidarity.
Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra went further, accusing the government of “disgracing every Indian woman” and surrendering the country’s dignity by permitting such discrimination.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself, claiming it had no role in organizing the press event. It stated that invitations were sent to select journalists via Afghanistan’s Consulate General in Mumbai, as the Afghan embassy’s jurisdiction does not fall under Indian authority.
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