The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday sought to distance itself from the controversy surrounding Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference in New Delhi, where women journalists were reportedly excluded - a move that has sparked outrage.
In a statement, the MEA emphasized that it had “no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan Foreign Minister in Delhi.”
The ministry clarified that no joint media briefing was held following the meeting between Muttaqi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Instead, the Afghan side independently organized a separate press event at its embassy.
At the event, attended only by select male journalists and Afghan embassy officials, Muttaqi discussed a range of issues, including bilateral relations, humanitarian aid, trade routes, and regional security cooperation.
The exclusion of women journalists from the press conference has sparked outrage among several opposition leaders.
Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram condemned the incident, suggesting that male journalists should have walked out in protest when they discovered their women collegues have been barred from attending the presser.
On Social Media platform X, Chidambaram Wrote, “I am shocked that women journalists were excluded from the press conference addressed by Mr Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan. In my personal view, the men journalists should have walked out when they found that their women colleagues were excluded (or not invited).”
Raising concerns about the issue, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded clarity from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.In a post on X, she questioned, ” Prime Minister ji, please clarify your position on the removal of female journalists from the press conference of the representative of the Taliban on his visit to India. If your recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, then how has this insult to some of India’s most competent women been allowed in our country, a country whose women are its backbone and its pride.”
Muttaqi, a member of the Taliban-led Afghan government, is associated with a regime known for imposing severe restrictions on women, including effectively barring them from employment.
Muttaqi, who arrived in India on Thursday, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday in what is viewed as a significant step towards resetting bilateral relations. During their meeting, India announced the upgrade of its technical mission in Kabul to the status of a full-fledged embassy- a move that was welcomed by the Afghan foreign minister.
“India is fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Afghanistan. I am pleased to announce the upgrading of India’s Technical Mission to the status of an embassy,” Jaishankar said.
The Taliban's restrictive policies towards women have been widely criticised Globally. Since taking power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has imposed strict restrictions on women's education, mobility and employment. Women are barred from secondary schools, universities and most workplaces.
