After uproar, Afghanistan Foreign Min Muttaqi calls another press meet, invites women journalists
Report
New Delhi: In response to widespread criticism over exclusion of women journalists from an earlier press conference, visiting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has called for a second press interaction on Sunday, this time inviting female journalists, as reported by The Indian Express.
Muttaqi, who arrived in New Delhi for a week-long visit on Friday, faced backlash after women journalists were reportedly not allowed to attend, prompting accusations of gender discrimination.
The Editors Guild of India and the Indian Women Press Corps (IWPC) strongly condemned the exclusion. Both organisations labelled the incident as highly discriminatory, with the Guild emphasising that while diplomatic events may be protected under the Vienna Convention, they do not justify gender-based restrictions in media access on Indian soil.
Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified on Saturday that it had no involvement in the press conference.
“Whether or not the MEA coordinated the event, it is deeply troubling that such a discriminatory exclusion was allowed to proceed without objection,” the Guild said in a statement.
The IWPC has urged the Government of India to raise the issue with the Afghan Embassy to ensure that such gender-based exclusions are not repeated in future media briefings.
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AAP activists detained during Mumbai protest against Raghav Chadha
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Mumbai (PTI): Police on Sunday detained some Aam Aadmi Party activists in Mumbai after they staged a demonstration against Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who has crossed over to the BJP, in Khar area.
Aam Aadmi Party's Mumbai unit president Preeti Sharma Menon claimed the police prevented AAP workers from protesting peacefully against "traitor" Chadha and detained local leader Ruben Mascharanhas.
A Khar Police official confirmed that Mascharanhas and some other activists have been taken to the police station, without elaborating.
"@CPMumbaiPolice @mumbaipolice has no other work but to guard Raghav Chaddha’s Mumbai residence. @aapmumbai volunteers were prevented from protesting peacefully against the GADDAR. Ruben has been detained at the Khar Police Station. But BJP is allowed to block roads at their whim," Menon stated.
The AAP's Mumbai unit had planned a protest in the Khar area against Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs of the party who recently joined the BJP.
"Without any detention order or any written communication, I have been taken to the Khar Police Station. Why is @MumbaiPolice so scared of @AAPMumbai's peaceful protest against 'Gaddar' Raghav Chaddha and Sandeep Pathak? We are @ArvindKejriwal's soldiers, we are not going to be cowed down," Mascharanhas said in another post.
The AAP suffered a jolt on Friday when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying all of them have merged with the BJP, asserting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
VIDEO | Mumbai: AAP workers protest outside Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s residence.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2026
On Friday, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal quit and merged… pic.twitter.com/GWKCSvDrOJ
