Congress leader Rashid Alvi criticized the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government over the exclusion of women journalists from a press conference held by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Alvi accused the Indian government of capitulating to the Afghan Minister, stating, “It’s understandable that the Prime Minister would bow to Trump and China, but the Indian government would bow to Amir Khan Muttaqi, who doesn’t allow women to attend press conferences. This cannot be condemned enough.”
The press conference, conducted at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, ignited a political controversy, particularly due to the alleged exclusion of female journalists. Alvi placed the blame firmly on the Indian government, asserting that Amir Khan Muttaqi should not be held accountable for this situation.
In response to the incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her disapproval, deeming the absence of women journalists “very unfortunate” and indicative of the Taliban’s oppressive mentality toward women. She highlighted the ongoing atrocities faced by women in Afghanistan and emphasized the need for the Indian Foreign Minister to raise these issues in discussions with Taliban officials.
Chaturvedi called on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take action regarding the treatment of women in Afghanistan, urging that India’s constitutional values of press freedom and gender equality must be communicated to the Taliban.
“What happened to the female journalists yesterday happened in the Afghan Embassy. It may not be under MEA’s control, but I hope that MEA takes cognizance of this and writes a letter to the Taliban,” she noted. “Keeping them out in this manner is very shameful.”
Amir Khan Muttaqi’s visit to India is noteworthy as it marks the first high-level delegation from Kabul since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021. His trip is scheduled from October 9 to October 16. The MEA clarified that it was not involved in the organization of the Afghan Minister’s press conference.
