Norwegian Journalist Helle Lyng Says Her India Visa Was Cancelled Before Summit

Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has announced that her Indian visa was cancelled, preventing her from attending the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad where she was invited to speak. Lyng posted on X that orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs led to the cancellation of her travel documents just as she was scheduled to leave.

Background

Lyng was invited to the summit as a panelist and speaker to discuss the future of media and press freedom. Her visa cancellation follows a recent high-profile exchange in Oslo during a joint press briefing featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. A viral video showed Lyng asking Modi why he does not take questions from what she termed the world's freest press. She later defended her actions online by stating that questioning political leaders is the basic duty of journalists.

Recent Exchanges

The controversy also led to a sharp exchange during a media briefing led by Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George. During that session, Lyng repeatedly questioned India's credibility and asked officials why anyone should trust them.

Context

Visa regulations and approvals fall under the sovereign authority of national governments, and ministries of home affairs routinely manage entry permissions for foreign nationals. High-profile international events often involve extensive diplomatic and security clearances for participating foreign speakers and media personnel.