Women have equal rights in our country: Rahul Gandhi slams Modi over Muttaqi press conference row

In his X post, 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."

"In our country, women have the right to equal participation in every space. Your silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the emptiness of your slogans on Nari Shakti," he said.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked Modi to clarify his position on the issue.

"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 said.

She further said: "If your recognition of women’s rights isn’t just convenient posturing from one election to the other, then how has this insult to some of India’s most competent women been allowed in our country, a country whose women are its backbone and its pride."

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi triggered a controversy on Friday after no women journalists were allowed to attend his press conference at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, drawing sharp criticism from Indian opposition leaders.

Muttaqi, who arrived in India this week on his first visit since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday. The two discussed India’s development assistance to Afghanistan, trade, and regional stability.

However, his subsequent media interaction on Friday drew criticism after women reporters were barred from attending, NDTV reported.