The Context — Karan Thapar Interviews Mahua Moitra
- Justice Katju’s Critique — Inanity of the Interview
- Diplomacy and Internal Affairs — A Matter of Principle
- The Press Conference Controversy Explained
India–Afghanistan Relations Must Endure
Justice Markandey Katju critiques Karan Thapar’s interview with Mahua Moitra on the Afghan Foreign Minister’s visit, calling it inane and misguided.
An inane interview
By Justice Markandey Katju
The journalist Karan Thapar interviewed TMC MP Mahua Moitra about the ongoing visit of the Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqqi to India.
Karan Thapar asked Mahua Moitra whether Mutaqqi should have been invited to India at all, considering that women in Afghanistan faced several disabilities, to which Mahua replied '' No, no, no ''.
In fact, this interview shows the inanity of both the interviewer and the interviewee. How women are treated in Afghanistan is an internal affair of that country, and foreign relations cannot be conducted on that basis.
For instance, many Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE etc would be having grave concern how Muslims are being treated in India; nevertheless, they do not break off relations or refuse to meet Foreign Ministers or Ambassadors of India, rather they have good relations with India. The USA is opposed to Chinese attempts to annex Taiwan, but does it refuse to meet the Chinese Foreign Ministers or Chinese diplomats for that reason?
Mahua Moitra then objected to the alleged refusal by the Afghan Foreign Minister to permit women journalists in his press conference in Delhi.
But the Foreign Minister said that he never objected to women journalists, and there was a technical error. He subsequently gave a second press conference in which there were several women journalists
Afghanistan minister Amir Khan Muttaqi clarifies after outrage over no women journalists at press conference
Not intentional snub: Taliban minister at press meet redo with women journalists
One can understand Mahua Moitra's political compulsions to blast the Indian Government on any issue, however flimsy. But one cannot understand a seasoned journalist like Karan Thapar asking such inane and fatuous questions.
India has traditionally had excellent relations with Afghanistan. Should they be damaged because the Taliban is in power ?
(Justice Katju is a retired judge of the Supreme Court of India. These are his personal views.)
