A controversy has erupted over the ban on female journalists from Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked PM Modi, “How did you allow some of our country’s most capable women to be insulted in India, when women are the backbone and pride of the country.”

As the controversy escalated, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that it had no role in the Afghan Foreign Minister’s press conference, nor had it invited journalists on its behalf. The press conference was held at the Afghan Embassy.

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that when the Afghan minister visited Delhi, the Afghan Consul General in Mumbai had sent the invitation to selected journalists on October 10. The Afghan Embassy does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Indian government. The Afghan Foreign Minister is visiting India from October 9 to 16.

Afghan Minister Visits India, Only Speaks to Male Journalists

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister, Amir Muttaqi, has been visiting India since October 9th. He held bilateral talks with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday. There was no joint press conference after the meeting. The Afghan minister spoke to the media alone at the Afghan Embassy.

However, only select male journalists and Afghan Embassy officials attended the press conference. There were no female journalists at the press conference. Several female journalists claimed on social media that they were denied entry.

According to media reports, Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi decided who would attend the press conference. It is currently unclear whether the Taliban informed India in advance that they would not invite female journalists.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Since the Taliban government came to power in Afghanistan, a series of restrictions have been imposed on women, including bans on girls attending school, speaking in public, showing their faces, and participating in sports.