Picture : ANI/X Video Tweets
Several Oppostion leaders led by leader of Oppostion Rahul Gandhi, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have slammed the government over Taliban on male PC .
They hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned his silence over the matter and took jibe at at so- called Nari Shakti slogan.
The press conference addressed by Muttaqi saw participation restricted to a handful of reporters, while women journalists were conspicuous by their absence. Muttaqi held the interaction at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, hours after holding wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
According to media reports , 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 suggested to the Afghan side that women journalists should be part of the invitees for the event.
In a statement, the IWPC said it raises strong objections to the reported exclusion of women journalists at the press conference held by Muttaqi.
The Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) said the act was ‘highly discriminatory’ and urged the government to take the matter up with the Afghan Embassy to ensure that such gender-based exclusion in media briefings does not occur in the future.
Earlier, LoP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Modi over the absence of female journalists from the presser, saying by allowing ‘exclusion’ of women scribes from a public forum, the prime minister is telling every woman in India that he is ‘too weak to stand up for them’.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, ‘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.’
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… https://t.co/FyaxxCteK6
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 11, 2025
“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,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said if the prime minister’s recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, how has this ‘insult to some of India’s most competent women been allowed in our country?’
She asked Modi to clarify his position on the absence of women journalists from Muttaqi’s press conference, and described the incident as an ‘insult to some of India’s most competent women’.
‘Prime Minister @narendramodi 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,’ she said on X.
Prime Minister @narendramodi 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…
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) October 11, 2025
‘If your recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, 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,’ Priyanka Gandhi said.
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also slammed the government on the issue. In hard- hiitng video message
Govt has dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing Taliban minister to exclude women journalists from presser. Shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites. pic.twitter.com/xxnqofS6ob
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) October 10, 2025
‘The government has dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing the Taliban minister to exclude women journalists from his presser. Shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites,’ she said on X.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha said that by not allowing women journalists to attend the press conference of the Taliban foreign minister, India has compromised its own moral and diplomatic standing.
‘This is not just a procedural lapse but a symbolic surrender of India’s long-cherished commitment to equality, freedom of the press, and gender justice,’ Jha said in a post on X.
‘For a country that has prided itself on being the world’s largest democracy and a champion of women’s participation in every sphere, this incident is deeply disappointing and politically short-sighted,’ he said.
‘It sends out the wrong message to Indian women and the global community that convenience has triumphed over conviction. Jai Hind,’ he added.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said on X, ‘No women journalists invited for the presser (because of Taliban beliefs). The Bamiyan Buddhas (destroyed by the Taliban) were the backdrop at the presser.
‘The messaging of the ‘Emirates of Afghanistan’ as recognised as of yesterday by the Indian government. Truly ironic,’ she said.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said, ‘(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.’
(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
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 11, 2025
In another post, Ramesh said, ‘Imagine if a Congress government had reached out to the Taliban in the manner in which the Modi Govt has done: what the reaction of the BJP and its ecosystem would have been.’
Imagine if a Congress Govt had reached out to the Taliban in the manner in which the Modi Govt has done: what the reaction of the BJP and its ecosystem would have been
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 11, 2025
