India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied any involvement in organising a press conference by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi, after female journalists were barred from attending the event.
The move has sparked outrage among politicians, lawmakers and the Indian media community.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Saturday that the press conference was held inside the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi and that invitations were issued by the Afghan Consul General in Mumbai. He stressed that the venue was outside India’s jurisdiction and that no Indian institution played a role in organising the event.
Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for his first official visit to India, met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar the following day before attending the press briefing at the Afghan Embassy.
According to NDTV, female reporters from several leading Indian outlets, including India Today and Times Now, went to cover the event but were denied entry by embassy security staff.
Prominent Indian journalists and media advocates have condemned the incident and called on the government to respond. Suhasini Haidar, senior journalist and foreign affairs editor at The Hindu, said that by officially hosting the Taliban, India had “imported their misogynistic discrimination onto Indian soil.”
India is widely regarded as one of Asia’s freest countries for the press, where women journalists regularly participate in political and official events. The controversy has reignited debate over India’s diplomatic engagement with the Taliban and its implications for the country’s values on gender equality and press freedom.
