US Congress member's big praise for Indian women journalists at Taliban presser: ‘Speaking truth to power’

Taliban minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's presser had faced backlash for excluding women journalists late last week, following which a fresh presser was called.

Days after a controversy over the absence of women journalists at a media interaction of Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, US Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove heaped praise on Indian women journalists for showing up at the fresh presser that was called later.

Afghanistan's Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attends a press conference in New Delhi. (REUTERS)

Women journalists were left out from Muttaqi's first media interaction at the Afghan embassy late last week, a move that drew backlash from the Opposition and media bodies. Another press conference was called later, which included women journalists.

Praising the women journalists in India who attended the presser, Kamlager-Dove wrote, “Glad to see women journalists in India speaking truth to power & standing up for their right to equal participation—rights the Taliban has stripped from Afghan women.” She further added that it is upon the US to continue to “raise the erasure of Afghan women in any engagement with the Taliban.”

Taliban minister's India visit

Muttaqi was on a diplomatic visit to India last week where he met several ministers, including foreign minister S. Jaishankar, and visited Darul-uloom Deoband, a religious seminary in Uttar Pradesh. A press conference at the Afghan embassy last Friday drew criticism for excluding women journalists and was attended by less than 20 men journalists.

Hindustan Times reported that the final call on participation in the event was taken by Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi, adding that Indian authorities had indicated that participation should be broad-based and include women journalists.

It is rare for women journalists to be excluded from official events and media interactions organised in New Delhi by other countries and it could not immediately be ascertained whether the Taliban side had formally informed Indian authorities that it would not accept women journalists at Muttaqi’s interaction.

Backlash over the presser

A day after the presser, the Editors Guild of India "strongly condemned" the exclusion and said that such a "discriminatory" act was "deeply troubling" regardless of whether the ministry of external affairs coordinated the event. The EGI noted that the media address was meant to mention diplomatic and bilateral engagements during Muttaqi's India visit.

"While diplomatic premises may claim protection under the Vienna Convention, that cannot justify blatant gender discrimination in press access on Indian soil," it added.

While the Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself from the controversy saying they had “no involvement”, opposition leaders such as P Chidambaram, Mohua Moitra. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the controversy and said, "In a post on X, Gandhi said, “Mr. Modi, when you allow the exclusion of women journalists from a public forum, you are telling every woman in India that you are too weak to stand up for them.”