A press event held at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi has ignited a firestorm of criticism and anger after female journalists were reportedly barred from attending. Around 16 male reporters were granted access to the forum featuring the Taliban government’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, while women and foreign media were turned away.
Sources within the Taliban government later acknowledged that female journalists had not been explicitly invited, citing a lack of proper coordination and promising future invitations if similar events are held in Delhi. However, this explanation did little to quell the outrage.
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi strongly condemned the incident, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was sending a message to Indian women that they were “too weak to stand up for them” by allowing the discriminatory practice.
The Editors Guild of India also issued a sharp rebuke, calling the exclusion “deeply troubling” and urging the Indian government to publicly uphold gender equality in press access at diplomatic events. The Guild stressed the importance of ensuring that such events are inclusive and do not permit discriminatory practices.
Muttaqi’s visit to India, which included high-level talks with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, marked a significant diplomatic engagement. During the visit, India announced its intention to reopen its embassy in Kabul, which had been closed following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
This incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating restrictions imposed by the Taliban government on women’s rights in Afghanistan since 2021, based on their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
Politicians from various parties voiced their dismay. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned Prime Minister Modi’s stance on the exclusion, calling it an “insult” to Indian women. Other prominent figures, like Mahua Moitra, expressed shock that male journalists present did not walk out in solidarity, labelling the situation and the government’s response as “shameful” and “spineless hypocrites.”
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