Controversy over absence of any female journalist at Afghan FM press conference in New Delhi; Foreign Ministry replied

Ankita Jain,

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On October 10, a press conference by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki in New Delhi following talks with Indian officials sparked controversy when women journalists were reportedly barred from attending.

The incident has been widely criticized by journalists, opposition parties and others for excluding female journalists.

Acting Taliban Foreign Minister Reached New Delhi on Thursday on a week-long visit to the country. His visit from October 9 to 16 represents the first high-level delegation from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Hours after Muttaki’s talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the Afghan side held a separate media interaction alone.

Many female journalists were barred from entering the embassy even after following the required dress code. According to multiple media reports, the decision was made by Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi at the invitation of journalists.

The boycott of women journalists sparked political outrage across the country. Opposition leaders criticized the government for allowing such discrimination in India.

Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi expressed disappointment and criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing PM Modi at

On Saturday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ‘clarify his position’ and questioned whether his recognition of women’s rights is a ‘convenient posture’ from one election to another.

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On Twitter, the Wayanad MP wrote, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, please clarify your position on removal of women journalists from press conferences.” Taliban representative On his India tour. If your beliefs about women’s rights are not just a convenient stance from one election to the next, then how have some of the most capable women of India been allowed to be insulted in our country, a country whose women are its backbone and its pride.

Former Union Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram expressed grief over the incident and suggested that the male journalists should have walked out.

In a post on

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also criticized the move and questioned why male journalists were allowed to be in the room. “How dare our government allow Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi to exclude women journalists and hold a ‘men only’ news conference on Indian soil with full protocols? How dare @DrSJAiShankar agree to this? And why should our weak spineless male journalists stay in the room?” she wrote.

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In another post, she said, “The government has insulted every Indian woman by allowing a Taliban minister to keep women journalists out of the press. A shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites.”

In response to feedback, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that he had no role in the press conference. “The Ministry of External Affairs had no involvement in the press conference held by the Afghan Foreign Minister in Delhi yesterday,” ANI reported.

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