'Tali-Ban In India': Congress Criticises PM Modi After Exclusion Of Women Journos At Afghan FM's Press Conference

New Delhi: After women journalists were reportedly barred from Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's press conference in New Delhi on Friday, senior Congress leaders took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to "clarify his position" on the matter. They have termed it an "insult" to some of India's most competent women.

Friday's press conference addressed by Afghan Foreign Minister saw participation restricted to a handful of reporters, while no women journalists were present.

Criticising the PM over absence of female journos at the presser, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said such discrimination exposes the emptiness of slogans on Nari Shakti. "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. In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every space. Your silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans on Nari Shakti," said Rahul Gandhi, referring to the incident.

Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra criticised the government for "allowing insult" of women journalists and questioned PM Modi whether his recognition of women's rights is "convenient posturing" from one election to another. In a post on X, she said, "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," she added.

On the other hand, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh termed it "shocking and unacceptable". "(Tali)ban on female journalists in India. Shocking and unacceptable that the Govt of India agreed to it - and that too in New Delhi on the eve of the International Day of the Girl Child," he said.

Echoing similar sentiments, senior Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram wrote on X, "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)."

Expressing similar views, Congress' chairperson of Social Media department Suriya Shrinate questioned the ruling dispensation over the matter. In a post on X, she wrote, "Women journalists were barred from Taliban foreign minister Amir Muttaqi conference. Why did the Modi govt agree to this ‘men-only’ Talibani diktat? How weak are you (External Affairs Minister) Dr S Jaishankar and Narendra Modi ? And how spineless are those male colleagues who didn’t walk out?."

Apart from Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) also launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led government over the matter. TMC MP Mahua Moitra in a social media post wrote, "Government has dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing Taliban minister to exclude women journalists from presser. Shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites."

Muttaqi held the interaction at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, hours after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

It is learnt that the decision on inviting journalists to the media interaction was taken by Taliban officials accompanying the foreign minister. People familiar with the matter said the Indian side had suggested to the Afghan side that women journalists should be part of the invitees for the event. The Taliban regime in Kabul has faced severe criticism from various countries as well as global bodies like the United Nations for restricting the rights of women in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi side-stepped a direct question on the plight of women in Afghanistan but said every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and there should be respect for them. He claimed that the overall situation in the country has improved significantly since the Taliban came to power in August 2021. Muttaqi pointed out that some 200 to 400 people died in Afghanistan every day before the Taliban started ruling the country.

"In these four years, there have been no such losses. Laws are in force, and everyone has their rights. Those who are engaging in propaganda are making a mistake," he said. "Every country has its own customs, laws and principles, and works according to those. It is not correct that people are not given their rights. If people were not happy with the system and the laws, why has peace returned?" he said. (With agency inputs)

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