Congress erupts after women journalists were barred from Taliban FM Muttaqi’s Delhi presser. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi slammed PM Modi, calling it an “insult to India’s women,” while MEA distanced itself.
Political backlash erupted after women journalists were barred from a press conference addressed by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Friday. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have strongly criticised the Modi government, calling the incident an “insult” to India’s women journalists.
Rahul Gandhi Blasts PM Modi
In a post on X, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi directly addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the message sent to women across India:
“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.”
Scroll to load tweet…
Priyanka Gandhi Calls It an Insult
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the government, questioning its commitment to women’s rights:
“Prime Minister @narendramodi 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, 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,” she said on X.
Scroll to load tweet…
Other Congress Leaders Join the Fray
Former Home Minister P Chidambaram expressed shock at the exclusion of women journalists:
“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).”
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram criticised what he called India’s compliance with Taliban norms:
“I understand the geopolitical compulsions that force us to engage with the Taliban, but to accede to their discriminatory and plain primitive mores is outright ridiculous. It’s very disappointing to note the conduct of the @MEAIndia and @DrSJaishankar in excluding women journalists from the press briefing of the Taliban Minister.”
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioned how the Taliban could dictate terms on Indian soil:
“Is it true that women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as dictated by him? Who are they to dictate terms to our nation, that too on our own soil, and impose their discriminatory agenda against women? Shame on @narendramodi and @DrSJaishankar for allowing this to happen.”
MEA Distances Itself
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that it had no role in the press conference, stating:
“MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi.”
Taliban FM Defends Record
During the same interaction, Muttaqi sidestepped questions about Afghan women, saying:
“Every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and there should be respect for them.”
He added: “In these four years, there have been no such losses. Laws are in force and everyone has their rights. Those who are engaging in propaganda are making a mistake. If people were not happy with the system and the laws, why has peace returned?”
Sources familiar with the matter said the decision to invite only select journalists was taken by Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi. The Indian side, they added, had suggested that women journalists should be part of the invite list — a recommendation reportedly ignored by the Afghan delegation.