Indian Opposition Leader Accuses Modi of Failing to Defend Women Against Taliban
Rahul Gandhi, leader of the Indian opposition, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to protect Indian women from the Taliban, following the exclusion of female journalists from a press conference in Delhi.
On Saturday, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not standing up for Indian women in the face of the Taliban. Gandhi addressed Modi directly, stating that allowing female journalists to be excluded from a press conference sends a message that Indian women are too weak to be defended.
In a note published on X, Gandhi emphasized that “women in our country have the right to participate equally in all spheres.” He added that Modi’s silence in the face of such discrimination exposes the hollowness of his slogans about “women’s empowerment.”
The controversy arose after Taliban officials prevented female journalists from attending a press conference with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, who is on a six-day visit to India. Muttaqi visited the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi on Saturday evening and held a press conference with journalists.
Several major Indian media outlets, including India Today and Times Now, were invited to cover the event, but security personnel at the embassy denied entry to female journalists.
Following the incident, prominent Indian journalists called on the government to respond to such behavior. A journalist from CNN-News18 wrote, “When the Taliban excludes women from a press conference in the heart of Delhi, the silence of the Indian government is concerning.”
