Afghan foreign minister Muttaqi denied media access to women journalists during visit to Darul Uloom Deoband

 
Lucknow Afghanistan’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi received a grand welcome at the Darul Uloom Deoband, the prestigious Islamic seminary in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, on Saturday. However, his visit once again sparked controversy after women journalists were barred from covering the event.
A large number of students gathered to catch a glimpse of Muttaqi, leading to chaos and a minor stampede-like situation that the police struggled to control. Videos of the crowd and the minister’s interaction have gone viral on social media.
This comes a day after women journalists were denied entry to Muttaqi’s press conference at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi, triggering political outrage and sharp criticism from the Opposition, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who called it an insult to Indian women and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarification.
Darul Uloom officials earlier defended the segregation policy, stating that it is “tradition” for women journalists to be seated behind a curtain in a separate enclosure during speeches or lectures. “This is an old custom here; there is nothing new about it,” the institution maintained.
However, the minister’s planned address to students was canceled at the last moment, as Muttaqi reportedly decided to cut short his visit and return to Delhi by road.
An official from the seminary said, “Muttaqi interacted briefly with about 20 students and expressed gratitude for the warm reception.”
The episode has reignited debate over gender discrimination, press freedom, and the Indian government’s engagement with representatives of the Taliban regime.

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