Priyanka corners PM Modi on Taliban FM barring women journalists from press conference

New Delhi: A press conference held by Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi has sparked widespread criticism after female journalists were excluded from the event, raising questions about India's stance on gender equality amid diplomatic engagements with the Taliban regime.

The incident occurred on October 10 at the Afghan Embassy, where Muttaqi addressed the media during his visit to India.

According to reports, the decision to restrict entry to male journalists only was made by Taliban officials accompanying the minister, despite efforts by Indian authorities to encourage broader participation. 

No female reporters were invited or allowed inside, mirroring the gender restrictions imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan since their return to power in 2021.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to social media to demand clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

"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," she wrote. "If your recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, then 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."

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…

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 11, 2025

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra echoed these sentiments, labeling the government "a shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites" for allowing the exclusion. 

In a video statement, she questioned why External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar agreed to the arrangement and criticised male journalists for not walking out in solidarity. 

"How dare our government allow Taliban foreign minister Amir Muttaqi to exclude women journalists & hold a ‘male-only’ news conference on Indian soil with full protocol?" Moitra posted on X.

Govt has dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing Taliban minister to exclude women journalists from presser. Shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/xxnqofS6ob

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 10, 2025

Congress MP Karti P. Chidambaram also weighed in, acknowledging geopolitical compulsions but calling the acquiescence to Taliban norms "outright ridiculous." He expressed disappointment with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for not ensuring inclusivity at the briefing.

However, some voices framed the incident within the context of diplomacy. Independent journalist Saikiran Kannan described it as a "catch-22 situation" for India, emphasising the need to engage with the Taliban despite discomfort, given regional security concerns and Afghanistan's instability. 

Another user on X noted that while the exclusion contradicts India's values, "diplomacy and national interest often navigate such complexities."

The MEA has not issued an official statement on the press conference restrictions, but sources indicate that the event was organised by the Afghan Embassy, limiting India's direct control.