Government Says It Played No Part in Female Journalists’ Ban at Taliban Press Briefing

Government Clarifies It Had No Role in Female Journalists’ Ban at Taliban Press Conference.

Amid sharp criticism from opposition leaders over the exclusion of female journalists from a Taliban press conference in Delhi on Friday, the government on Saturday clarified that it had no involvement in the event addressed by Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Official sources stated, “The Ministry of External Affairs had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan foreign minister in Delhi.”

The absence of women journalists at the presser triggered widespread criticism, highlighting the Taliban’s gender bias even on Indian soil. Photographs from the event showed Taliban officials addressing a men-only audience.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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 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.”

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram also expressed dismay, saying, “I am shocked that women journalists were excluded from the press conference addressed by Mr Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan. In my personal view, the men journalists should have walked out when they found that their women colleagues were excluded (or not invited).”

The press interaction followed meetings between Muttaqi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, where they discussed bilateral trade, humanitarian assistance, and security cooperation.

The exclusion drew criticism from journalists and social media users, who condemned it as a blatant display of misogyny and an affront to India’s democratic values. One user pointed out, “Keeping the framed picture of the Bamiyan Buddha statue, which was bombed by the Taliban, a black mark of their rule, and then not inviting any women journalists to the press conference.”

The Taliban, the current ruling authority in Afghanistan, is notorious for its restrictive policies toward women. Under their rule, Afghan women face severe limitations, including restrictions on education, employment, and participation in public life, making this exclusion consistent with the group’s established gender bias.