Taliban FM creates furore in India by holding 'men-only’ presser
Visiting foreign minister of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi has created a furore in Indian after excluding female journalists from his first-ever press conference in New Delhi, reported Indian media.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday clarified that it had “no role or involvement" in Friday’s press interaction in New Delhi, where Afghanistan’s Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi spoke to reporters.
The clarification comes after female journalists and a section of the opposition raised questions about the absence of female journalists during the press interaction.
Female journalists, according to broadcaster NDTV, raised the issue with security personnel at the embassy.
“Women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable," anchor Geeta Mohan, who works with broadcaster India Today said in a social media post.
VIDEO | Delhi: When asked about his visit to Deoband and Pakistan's allegation that Afghanistan exports terrorism, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said, "Deoband is a significant religious place for us. This place and its people have a long history with Afghanistan. The way… pic.twitter.com/JbKX8TCg6A
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 10, 2025
Nayanima Basu, another journalist, questioned why Muttaqi, why Taliban was allowed to intentionally exclude women journalists from the press conference.
“Right under the Indian government’s nose, in the heart of the capital city, Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?" wrote Basu.
The Taliban has engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. In July, Russia became the first country to recognize the Taliban ’s government.
Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women.
India on Friday upgraded ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, giving a boost to the diplomatically isolated group, by announcing it would reopen its embassy in Kabul that was shut after the Taliban seized power in 2021.
The Afghan Taliban administration will also send diplomats to New Delhi, its foreign minister said.
Politicians and opposition party spokespersons also lashed out at Muttaqi for excluding female journalists.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed wrote, “Who are they to dictate terms to our nation, that too, on our own soil, and impose their discriminatory agenda against women?"
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra said male journalists should have left the press conference in solidarity.
In a post on X, Moitra questioned how the government allowed the Taliban representative to exclude women journalists from the media briefing while being extended full protocol.
“How dare our government allow Taliban foreign minister Amir Muttaqi to exclude women journalists and hold a ‘male-only’ news conference on Indian soil with full protocol? How dare @DrSJaishankar agree to this? And why did our emasculated spineless male journos remain in the room?" she wrote.
Pleased to meet FM Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi of Afghanistan today in New Delhi.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) October 10, 2025
This visit marks an important step in advancing our ties and affirming the enduring India-Afghanistan friendship.
Discussed India’s support for Afghanistan’s development, our bilateral trade,… pic.twitter.com/OLBOiv3gZZ