Priyanka Gandhi Condemns PM Modi For Allowing Disrespect to Women Journalists

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for the absence of women journalists at a press conference hosted by visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, calling it an "insult to some of India's most competent women". In a post on X, Gandhi questioned Modi's commitment to women's rights, accusing him of "convenient posturing" during elections while allowing such discrimination on Indian soil. "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 wrote, emphasising that Indian women are "the backbone and pride" of the nation.

The controversy erupted during Muttaqi's media interaction at the Afghan embassy in New Delhi on Friday, hours after he held talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on bilateral issues, including trade, security, and regional stability. Only a select group of male reporters was invited, with women journalists notably excluded—a decision reportedly dictated by Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi.

Sources indicated the Indian side had suggested including female media professionals, but the request was overruled, highlighting tensions in diplomatic etiquette amid India's cautious engagement with the Taliban regime since its 2021 takeover. The event, intended to brief on Afghanistan's improving security and economic ties with India, drew immediate backlash from opposition quarters for compromising gender equality norms.

Senior Congress figures amplified the outrage. Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram expressed shock on X, stating, "I am shocked that women journalists were excluded," and urged male colleagues to have walked out in solidarity. His son, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, lambasted the Ministry of External Affairs and Jaishankar, saying, "To accede to their discriminatory and plainly primitive mores is outright ridiculous."

Party spokesperson Shama Mohamed questioned the Taliban's authority to "dictate terms" on Indian soil, declaring, "Shame on @narendramodi and @DrSJaishankar for allowing this to happen." These reactions underscore the Congress's broader narrative of the BJP prioritising geopolitics over principles, especially as India navigates ties with Kabul to counterbalance Pakistan's influence and secure Central Asian connectivity projects like the Chabahar port.

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Muttaqi, during the presser, deflected queries on Afghanistan's women, where the Taliban has imposed severe curbs on education, employment, and public participation since August 2021, drawing UN condemnation for "gender apartheid". He insisted, "Every country has its own customs, laws and principles," claiming peace and reduced daily casualties of 200-400 under Taliban rule prove public contentment.

The visit, Muttaqi's first to India since the regime's formation, signals New Delhi's pragmatic outreach—providing humanitarian aid and hosting an Afghan diaspora—despite global isolation of the Taliban. As the row simmers, it risks amplifying domestic debates on women's empowerment ahead of key state elections, with the BJP yet to respond officially.

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