The Indian government has come under fire from opposition leaders and public figures following the exclusion of female journalists from a press event with Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. The incident occurred during a forum held at the Afghanistan embassy, where approximately 16 male reporters were selected to attend, while women and foreign media were reportedly turned away. The event has sparked widespread criticism, with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to stand up for Indian women. Gandhi stated, ‘By allowing this event to proceed, Modi is telling every woman in India that you are too weak to stand up for them.’
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs clarified that it ‘had no involvement in the press interaction’ at the Afghan embassy. Meanwhile, the Taliban government acknowledged that women had not been invited, citing ‘lack of proper coordination’ as the reason. A Taliban source indicated that female journalists would be invited to future conferences if held in Delhi. Muttaqi is currently in India for high-level talks, during which he met with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar. Jaishankar announced that India would reopen its embassy in Kabul, which had been closed since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the regime has imposed numerous restrictions based on their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, severely curtailing the rights of Afghan women and girls. The exclusion of female journalists from the press event has reignited debates about gender equality in India. Indian politician Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called on Modi to clarify his stance on the matter, questioning how ‘this insult to some of India’s most competent women’ was allowed in ‘a country whose women are its backbone and its pride.’ Others expressed outrage, with politician Mahua Moitra criticizing the male journalists who attended the event for not walking out in solidarity with their female colleagues. She labeled the government’s actions as ‘shameful’ and accused it of dishonoring Indian women.