Muttaqi claims limited invites, denial not intentional
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi responded Sunday to backlash over the exclusion of female journalists from his recent press conference in New Delhi. He said that only a small, pre‑selected list of journalists had been invited. He added that “some journalists were not on the list” — that was the only reason women were left out. “It was just this decision and no other,” he asserted in a video posted in Pashto.
Muttaqi maintained there was no deliberate gender-based exclusion, describing the omission as a procedural oversight. He said that his team had assumed that only those already on the invite list should attend, and not realizing some voices were excluded.
Indian opposition, civil society demand answers
The absence of women journalists drew sharp criticism from India’s Congress party. Rahul Gandhi posted on X that by allowing their exclusion, the Modi government was sending a negative message to India’s women about equality. He urged Modi to clarify his government’s role in the incident.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned whether women’s rights had become mere slogans if exclusion was tolerated during a high-profile diplomatic event.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the event a “(Tali)ban on female journalists in India,” and labelled it “shocking and unacceptable.”
Other critics included P. Chidambaram, who argued male journalists should have walked out in protest, and D. Raja, who questioned whether India tacitly endorsed Taliban misogyny by allowing the exclusion to happen on Indian soil.
While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied involvement in organizing the press conference, critics say hosting such an event without ensuring inclusive access undermines India’s democratic credentials.
Following the backlash, Muttaqi held another press meet the next day, this time inviting women journalists.
