Delhi, 11 October (H.S.): The Congress on Saturday demanded a response from the central government after female journalists were reportedly barred from attending a press conference held by Afghanistan’s Taliban-appointed Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in New Delhi.

Describing the incident as an insult to women, senior party leaders accused the government of remaining silent on an issue that undermines India’s commitment to gender equality.Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra strongly criticized the exclusion of women, calling it “an affront to the dignity of Indian women.”

In a post on X, she wrote that the government must clarify why women journalists were removed from the event organized during the Taliban representative’s visit to India. “If the government’s commitment to women’s rights is more than a mere electoral slogan, how was such an insult to some of the nation’s most capable women permitted? Women are the backbone and pride of our society,” she said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, echoed her concerns, terming the move discriminatory. Reposting Priyanka Gandhi’s remarks, he wrote that excluding female journalists from a public platform sends a message that the government is weak in defending women’s rights.

“Women deserve equal participation in every field. The government’s silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the hollowness of its slogans about women’s empowerment,” Rahul Gandhi stated.Responding to the controversy, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that the Indian government had no role in the event.

“The press conference by the Afghan minister was entirely organized by the Afghan side. The Government of India was not involved,” the MEA said in a statement.Muttaqi, who is on an official visit to India from October 9 to 16, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday.

The two leaders discussed key issues including trade cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and regional security. However, the controversy erupted later that day when female reporters were reportedly denied access to the Afghan minister’s press briefing in Delhi.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar