New Delhi, October 11, 2025
The exclusion of female journalists from a press conference held by Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi has ignited a firestorm of criticism, raising serious questions about gender equality and India's diplomatic priorities. The incident, which unfolded on October 10 during Muttaqi's first official visit to India since the Taliban's 2021 takeover, has drawn sharp rebukes from opposition leaders, women's rights advocates, and the media fraternity, who accuse the Indian government of tacitly endorsing discriminatory practices on its own soil.
The press conference, organized entirely by the Afghan Embassy, saw embassy staff reportedly scrutinizing journalists' credentials at the entrance and turning away women, citing Taliban protocols on gender segregation. No female reporters were permitted inside, a move that starkly contrasted with India's constitutional commitment to equality and its global advocacy for women's rights. Muttaqi, a key figure in the Taliban regime notorious for imposing severe restrictions on Afghan women—including bans on education, employment, and public participation—addressed questions on bilateral ties, regional security, and humanitarian aid, but the absence of half the press corps became the story itself.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) swiftly distanced itself from the controversy, issuing a statement emphasizing that the government had "no role or involvement" in the event's logistics. Officials noted that the decision on media invitations was made solely by Taliban aides accompanying Muttaqi, and the embassy operates under diplomatic immunity as per the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Despite this, the MEA's response has been lambasted as insufficient, with critics arguing that India could have intervened diplomatically to prevent the exclusion.
Opposition voices erupted in Parliament and on social media. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded clarity from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, questioning, "How dare our government allow Taliban foreign minister Amir Muttaqi to exclude women journalists & hold a 'male-only' news conference on Indian soil?" Her brother, Rahul Gandhi, went further, branding the Prime Minister "spineless" for failing to uphold women's dignity. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra labeled the episode "disgraceful" and a betrayal of India's values, while former Union Minister P. Chidambaram called the government's silence "shameful" and hypocritical.
Female journalists who were barred shared their frustration in interviews and online. Priyanshi Sharma, a veteran reporter, posted a video on X expressing disappointment not just in the Taliban but in the Indian government's perceived inaction: "The Afghanistan minister was doing exactly what he does back home... But didn’t our Government fail us here?" Another journalist told The News Minute that the exclusion was a "harsh reminder" of how fragile empowerment can be, questioning India's stance amid thawing ties with the Taliban regime. Author Taslima Nasreen, a vocal critic of religious extremism, remarked bluntly: "For Taliban, women not human."
The Taliban downplayed the row, with a government source telling the BBC that the barring was due to "lack of proper coordination" and an "unintentional oversight." They claimed women journalists routinely meet Muttaqi in Kabul and promised invitations to future events. However, this explanation has been met with skepticism, given the regime's track record—under "Taliban 2.0," Afghan women have been systematically sidelined from public life since August 2021.
Social media amplified the outrage, with hashtags like #WomenJournalists and #NariShakti trending on X. Users accused the government of prioritizing geopolitics—such as countering Pakistan's influence—over human rights. One post by @mariaagold read: "Safeguarding women reporters from being insulted & excluded for their gender... isn't the government's responsibility, then what's the government's responsibility?" Another from @GauthamMachaiah decried the media's "spineless compliance," asking, "Where are the chest-thumping anchors now?" Pro-government voices, however, defended the engagement as pragmatic diplomacy, with one user suggesting critics were more upset about India-Taliban ties than the exclusion itself.
This diplomatic faux pas occurs against the backdrop of Muttaqi's meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on October 9, signaling a cautious warming in India-Afghanistan relations despite New Delhi's non-recognition of the Taliban government. India has provided humanitarian aid to Afghanistan but maintains reservations over the regime's gender policies. As the row simmers, activists warn it could undermine India's "Nari Shakti" narrative, while emboldening regressive forces. With Muttaqi's visit ongoing, all eyes are on whether New Delhi will issue a stronger rebuke or let diplomacy prevail.
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