News Story: Opposition Slams Modi Government Over Exclusion of Female Journalists from Afghan Minister’s Presser
“Exposes Emptiness of Your Nari Shakti Slogans”: Rahul Gandhi Leads Political Firestorm Over Exclusion of Women Journalists from Afghan Minister’s Presser
New Delhi: A major political controversy has erupted in New Delhi following reports that Indian women journalists were allegedly barred from attending a press conference held by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on Friday. The incident has drawn fierce criticism from the Opposition, led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who accused the Modi government of hypocrisy on the issue of women’s empowerment.
Rahul Gandhi’s Strong Attack: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, launched a scathing attack directly at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to social media, he argued that by allowing the exclusion of women scribes from a public forum on Indian soil, the Prime Minister was sending a dangerous message.
“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,” Gandhi wrote. He explicitly questioned the sincerity of the government’s much-touted “Nari Shakti” (women’s power) slogan, adding, “Your silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans on Nari Shakti.”
Widespread Opposition Outrage: The criticism was echoed by other senior Opposition leaders:
- Priyanka Gandhi Vadra demanded that the Prime Minister clarify the government’s position on what she called an “insult to some of India’s most competent women.” She questioned if the government’s recognition of women’s rights was simply “convenient posturing” between elections.
- Former Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram expressed his shock, suggesting that male journalists present should have walked out of the press conference in solidarity with their female colleagues.
- Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra called the government “shameful and spineless” for allowing the exclusion of women on Indian soil.
The Background of the Controversy: The event in question was a press conference held by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. He is on a week-long visit to India, the first high-level engagement since the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021. The press interaction, held at the Afghan Embassy premises following talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was notably a male-only gathering, reflecting the severe gender restrictions enforced by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Government’s Response: Following the political backlash, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a clarification, stating that the government had “no involvement” in organizing or managing the press interaction at the Afghan Embassy. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that while the Indian side had suggested including women journalists, the decision on invitees was ultimately made by the Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi.
Despite the government distancing itself from the organization of the event, the incident has ignited a fierce national debate about diplomatic engagement and India’s commitment to upholding its core values of gender equality, especially when dealing with regimes known for human rights abuses against women
