New Delhi witnessed a rare diplomatic controversy when a press conference held by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Friday at the Afghanistan Embassy saw no women journalists permitted entry. Following criticism, the Indian government swiftly clarified that it bore “no role” in the event’s logistics. 

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), invitations were extended by Afghanistan’s Consul General in Mumbai to select journalists in Delhi, and the Indian side was not involved in the press meet held on embassy grounds. The MEA emphasised that the Afghan Embassy premises lie beyond Indian jurisdiction.

Opposition leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and P. Chidambaram, condemned the exclusion as an affront to women journalists and demanded clarity from Prime Minister Modi. Observers called the incident one of the first known instances of active exclusion of women reporters from a foreign government event on Indian soil. 

While Muttaqi addressed bilateral ties, trade and regional security during the event, the absence of women participants overshadowed the content, fueling a debate over diplomatic decorum and gender rights on Indian soil.