India concerned over Taliban’s decision to ban women from university education

New Delhi : India on Thursday joined several other leading countries in criticising the Taliban’s decision to ban university education for women in Afghanistan and renewed its call for setting up of an inclusive government in Kabul that ensures equal rights of women in all aspects of the Afghan society.
Several countries including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom have strongly condemned the Taliban’s latest step in its brutal crackdown on the freedom of Afghan women and girls.
In March, the Taliban barred girls from going to secondary schools.
“We have noted with concern the reports in this regard. India has consistently supported the cause of female education in Afghanistan,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
He was replying to media queries on the issue during a media briefing.
“We have emphasised the importance of the establishment of an inclusive and representative government that respects the rights of all Afghans and ensures the equal rights of women and girls to participate in all aspects of Afghan society, including access to higher education,” Bagchi said.