Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Indian government on Saturday clarified that it had “no role to play” in the Taliban-led press conference at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, which sparked widespread outrage after no women journalists were allowed to attend the event. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the Afghan Embassy’s activities fall outside the jurisdiction of the Indian government.
No Women Allowed At Taliban Press Meet
The press conference was held on Friday at the Afghanistan Embassy and was addressed by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Several female journalists were allegedly stopped from entering the venue despite adhering to the dress code, leading to anger on social media. The MEA clarified that the invitations were issued by Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mumbai to select journalists stationed in Delhi for the minister’s visit.
Taliban’s Record On Women’s Rights Draws Criticism
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan is notorious for imposing severe restrictions on women, including banning them from working and pursuing education in key fields. Recently, it banned books authored by women in Afghan universities and removed 18 academic courses, such as Gender and Development and Human Rights. Opposition leaders in India criticised the incident, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi clarify how such “insult to India’s most competent women” was allowed.
Chidambaram Calls For Journalists’ Protest
Former minister P Chidambaram expressed shock over the exclusion of women journalists and said that male journalists should have walked out in solidarity. “In my personal view, the men journalists should have walked out when they found that their women colleagues were excluded (or not invited),” he posted on X.
Diplomatic Talks With Taliban Continue
Muttaqi arrived in India on Thursday and held discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar the following day. During the meeting, India announced that its Technical Mission in Kabul would be upgraded to an embassy, marking a significant shift in diplomatic engagement. Jaishankar reiterated India’s commitment to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and development through multiple India-backed projects.
