New Delhi [India], October 12 (ANI): Congress leader Rashid Alvi slammed the Centre over the absence of women journalists in a press conference held by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowed down to the Afghan Minister.

Speaking to ANI on Saturday, Alvi held the Centre responsible for the move rather than the Afghan Minister.

'It's understandable that the Prime Minister would bow to Trump and China, but the Indian government would bow to Amir Khan Muttaqi, who doesn't allow women to attend press conferences. This cannot be condemned enough... Amir Khan Muttaqi isn't responsible for this; the Indian government is,' Rashid Alvi said.

The press conference by Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi on Friday, where Indian women journalists were allegedly not allowed to attend, sparked a political row.

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi condemned the absence of women journalists from the press conference, calling it 'very unfortunate' and reflective of the Taliban's mindset.

'It is very unfortunate. Everyone knows what kind of Taliban mindset it is. Atrocities are being committed against women in Afghanistan. I had said yesterday as well that whenever our Foreign Minister meets them, he should raise the issue of what is happening to the women there,' she said.

Chaturvedi urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to address the issue by raising concerns about women's treatment in Afghanistan and to communicate to the Taliban that such actions contradict India's constitutional values of press freedom and gender equality.

'What happened to the female journalists yesterday happened in the Afghan Embassy. It may not be under MEA's control, but I hope that MEA takes cognisance of this and writes a letter to the Taliban to address it, stating that the practices and norms in our country are in accordance with our Constitution. We also have freedom of the press and equality. Women have been given equal status. Keeping them out in this manner is very shameful,' she added.

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