Priyanka Chaturvedi's old posts on Afghan Taliban resurface as women journalists barred from presser, Sena MP responds

Old tweets resurface as Priyanka Chaturvedi slams Taliban, criticizes women journalists being barred from presser.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi’s old tweet has resurfaced following her remarks on the strategic need to engage with Afghanistan and her criticism of women journalists being barred from the presser.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi commented on the Taliban presser from which women journalist were allegedly barred. (PTI)

In the now-resurfaced tweet, Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, “Moderate’ Taliban. ‘Legitimate Stakeholder’ Taliban. ‘Give them a chance’ Taliban. ‘Sheru’s’ Taliban. Shameful, unfortunate and can only pray for the people of Afghanistan.”

In another tweet that is doing the rounds on the internet, she said, “Can’t believe there are people in India defending Taliban& asking them to be given a chance. Disgusting. It is nothing but shameful attempt to whitewash well known Islamic radicals that know only terrorism not governance! Calling them insurgents? Aww, the faux innocence”.

Chaturvedi has now responded to the resurfaced tweets.

“Lol! Pulling out my old tweets, my view about the Taliban hasn’t changed — they continue to be rabid Islamists, continue to deny rights to women, and in the past have engaged with Pakistan to hijack IC 814, due to which India had to release dreaded Pakistani terrorists. But again, reading and comprehension seem to be a problem for either side,” she wrote.

“The Taliban leads the Afghanistan government as decided by the US and its allies, not by our choosing. But again, context and trolling are a different ball game,” she added.

“I stand by that tweet. I also stand by your need to up your comprehension skills!,” she wrote in response to a comment.

This comes after Chaturvedi discussed the strategic importance of engagement with Afghanistan.

“With the changing political dynamics of US-Pakistan and China-Pakistan relations, it is in India’s interest to engage with Afghanistan — that is of foremost strategic and security importance,” Chaturvedi wrote in a post on X.

“The Taliban being in charge was not India’s choice but a result of the US (and its allies) deciding to exit Afghanistan. As much as it may be an unpopular opinion, India will need to engage with the Afghanistan government led by the Taliban,” she added.

Chaturvedi also criticised the absence of women journalists at the press conference because of Taliban beliefs.

“No women journalists invited for the presser (because of Taliban beliefs). The Bamiyan Buddhas (destroyed by the Taliban) as the backdrop at the presser. The messaging of the ‘Emirates of Afghanistan’ as recognized as of yesterday by the Indian government — truly ironic,” she wrote.

A diplomatic visit by Afghanistan's acting Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, to India sparked the controversy after women journalists were barred from attending a press conference addressed by him in New Delhi on Thursday.