By Admin 
Political turmoil has intensified in India regarding the press conference of Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki in New Delhi. In fact, women journalists were not invited to this press conference, after which opposition leaders raised questions on the central government. Responding to this, Muttaki said that ‘we had not forbidden women’ and expressed hope that relations between India and Afghanistan would improve.
‘We did not stop women’- Muttaki
The Afghan Foreign Minister said, ‘We will try to improve relations. The number of visits should increase and the situation should improve. We are people of the same area, we can speak each other’s language. We did not refuse women. Muttaki said that the purpose of his coming to India is to meet Darul Uloom Deoband, the Indian government and political people. He said that in future, efforts will be made to strengthen trade and political relations between India and Afghanistan.
Why were women journalists not called?
This press conference took place at the Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi, a few hours after Muttaki’s conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Indian side had suggested including women journalists as well, but it is believed that the list of journalists was made by Taliban officials. The Indian government said that the Ministry of External Affairs had no role in this program.
Opposition targeted PM Modi
Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, P Chidambaram, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra surrounded the central government regarding this incident. Priyanka Gandhi wrote on social media, ‘Prime Minister Modi ji, please tell why women journalists were removed from the press conference of Taliban representative in India? If your words on women’s rights are true, then how was this insult allowed to happen?
Rahul Gandhi said – ‘When you allow women journalists to be kept out of the stage, you are showing every woman in India that you cannot stand up for them.’ P Chidambaram appealed to the journalists that in such cases, male journalists should also have come out and protested. Mahua Moitra also said that religious freedom is strict in India, but a foreign fundamentalist is being allowed to discriminate against women – this is a contradiction.
Questions on women’s rights avoided
On a direct question asked regarding women’s rights, Muttaki avoided answering and said that every country has its own traditions. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has long been accused of limiting women’s rights.