Shama Mohammad Slams Govt Over Bar on Women Journalists at Afghan FM Presser

‘Our diplomacy has fallen so low….” Congress leader Shama Mohammad on barring women journalists from Afghanistan FM presser

Congress leader Shama Mohamed slammed the Union government on Sunday following the backlash against the exclusion of women journalists from the press conference of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and said that India’s diplomacy has “fallen so low” that we need to invite the representatives of a country who are against women.

The Congress leader alleged that the women under the Taliban regime are denied access to education, health care, and other rights.

On the absence of women journalists in Afghanistan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s press conference, Congress leader Shama Mohamed told ANI, “We should not have invited the foreign minister of a country called Afghanistan, which is run by men who are against women. They don’t allow women to attend school. They don’t let women access healthcare. They cover up women. They have no rights there”

The Congress leader criticised the Indian government for not raising the issue with the Afghan minister and said govt should have stressed to the Afghan government the importance of abiding by the rules of the host country, particularly regarding the press conference.

“I fail to understand that our diplomacy has fallen so low that we need to invite him… Every press conference features both women and men journalists. Why didn’t the government of India address this with them and say, Listen, our women journalists will also attend… Regardless of what was said or done, any foreign country, even if it’s their embassy, should follow the rules of the country that hosts them…,” Shama Mohammad added.

Muttaqi is on a week-long visit to India, from October 9 to 16. This is the first high-level delegation from Kabul to India since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Muttaqi’s visit began with a controversy as Indian women journalists were reportedly barred from attending the Afghan FM press conference at the Afghan Embassy on Friday.

The incident drew heavy backlash from the Opposition, which questioned the BJP’s stance on women’s rights.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday 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 added.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on has clarified that it had no involvement in the press interaction held by Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi on Friday.

“MEA had no involvement in the press interaction held yesterday by the Afghan FM in Delhi,” the ministry said in a statement. (ANI)