custom-ads

When women journalists were ‘banned’ from Afghan minister’s press conference, GoI didn’t bat an eyelid

This was India’s first high level engagement with the Taliban since their takeover of Kabul in August 2021. Despite women journalists being banned by Afghanistan embassy, not a word of condemnation has come from the Indian government.

South First Desk

Published Oct 11, 2025 | 11:45 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 11, 2025 | 3:25 PM

Afghanistan Foreign Minister's press meet

Afghanistan Foreign Minister's press meet. (X)

Synopsis: Senior independent journalist Nayanima Basu, took to X, and wrote: “Right under the Indian government’s nose, in the heart of the capital city, the Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?”

On Friday, 10 October, at a press meet of Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, held in New Delhi, women journalists were barred.

This was India’s first high level engagement with the Taliban since their takeover of Kabul in August 2021.

According to The Wire report, invitations for the briefing were extended to around 17 media outlets, all of which were represented by male journalists. A couple of women journalists even waited outside the gates of the embassy but were not allowed inside.

The report further noted that, during the press conference, no question was raised about the absence of women journalists.

However, responding to a question on restrictions on Afghan women’s access to education, Muttaqi said peace and security had returned to Afghanistan. “Every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and works according to those. It is not correct that people are not given their rights. If people were not happy with the system and the laws, why has peace returned?” he said.

Also Read: Jubilee Hills bypoll: Telangana Congress’ ticket to Naveen Yadav sparks internal unrest

Women journalists criticise the move

Senior Independent journalist Nayanima Basu, took to X, and wrote: “Right under the Indian government’s nose, in the heart of the capital city, the Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?”

Another senior journalist Suhasini Haidar also noted, “What is even more ridiculous is that the Taliban FM is allowed to bring their abhorrent and illegal discrimination against women to India, as the government hosts the Taliban delegation with full official protocol. This isn’t pragmatism, this is supplication.”

‘Dishonoured every single Indian woman’

Meanwhile, TMC MP Mahua Moitra also criticised the Indian government for allowing the exclusion of women journalists. On X, she wrote: “Govt has dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing Taliban minister to exclude women journalists from presser. Shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites.”

RJD MP Manoj Jha, also took to X to criticise the Indian government. He wrote: “By not allowing women journalists to attend the press conference of the Taliban Foreign Minister, India has compromised its own moral and diplomatic standing. This is not just a procedural lapse but a symbolic surrender of India’s long-cherished commitment to equality, freedom of the press, and gender justice.”

“For a country that has prided itself on being the world’s largest democracy and a champion of women’s participation in every sphere, this incident is deeply disappointing and politically short-sighted. It sends out the wrong message to Indian women and the global community that convenience has triumphed over conviction.”

MP Karti Chidambaram also questioned, “I understand the geopolitical compulsions that force us to engage with the Taliban, but to acede to their discriminatory & plain primitive mores is outright ridiculous, it’s very disappointing to note the conduct of the @MEAIndia & @DrSJaishankar in excluding women journalists from the press briefing of the Taliban Minister.”

Senior Congress leader Chidambaram also expressed shock over the incident: “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).”

Opposition leaders question PM Modi

Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify his position, on women journalists being barred from the Afghanistan Foreign Minister’s press meet.

She wrote on X: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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.”

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, further asked, “Mr. Modi, when you allow the exclusion of women journalists from a public forum, you are telling every woman in India that you are too weak to stand up for them. In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every space. Your silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans on Nari Shakti.”

DMK MP Kanimozhi also raised questions, she wrote: “Taliban Foreign Minister insists on excluding women journalists from a press conference and the Indian government actively colludes? On Indian soil? How could the BJP government and @DrSJaishankar allow such a regressive, discriminatory demand and be dictated terms in our own country? This is not diplomacy, it’s a complete surrender of our integrity, and a shameful compromise on India’s commitment to equality and press freedom.”

Also Read: Telangana Congress likely to bank on BC representation in high-stakes Jubilee Hills by-election

Follow us