India Revokes Visa of Norwegian Journalist Who Put Modi on the Spot with Tough Questions
Norwegian journalist Ms. Helle Lyng Svendsen says the Indian embassy in Oslo cancelled her visa and stopped her from visiting India. She says this happened just minutes before she was due to leave for the airport. She planned to attend the “Bharat Summit” in Hyderabad.
Ms. Svendsen works for the Oslo based newspaper “Dagsavisen.” She says she had received an Indian visa and the required political clearance for the trip. The Congress party, which organises the summit, had invited her to speak on the future of the media, press freedom and democracy.
On 11 November (Wednesday), Ms. Svendsen wrote a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). She said the embassy contacted her about 10 minutes before she was to leave for the airport. It told her she could not go to India.
She wrote: “I had received an Indian visa and was due to leave this morning for the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. I was invited as a panelist and speaker for a discussion on the future of the media and press freedom. But my visa has been cancelled on the ‘order of higher authorities’ of India’s Home Ministry.”
Ms. Svendsen says the decision came from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), but nobody told her the reason. As of this report, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the Home Ministry and the Indian embassy in Norway have not responded to her claim.
Journalist suspects the move is linked to her criticism of Mr. Modi
In a video message to India’s Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, Ms. Svendsen asked why officials stopped her from entering India when she had all the required clearances. She believes the decision may be linked to her question to Mr. Narendra Modi during his visit to Oslo in May 2026. She also believes her reports criticising the Modi government may be a reason.
She said: “I feel there may be a link to the press freedom I practised when I asked India’s Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi a question in Oslo, Norway, in May 2026.”
She also wondered whether her criticism of industrialists Mr. Gautam Adani and Mr. Mukesh Ambani, who are known to be close to Mr. Modi, played a part. She named two other possible reasons. She wrote a positive report on the political campaign of the “Cockroach Janta Party,” and she interviewed the party’s founder, Mr. Abhijeet Dipke.
Ms. Svendsen said the move may be politically motivated. But she said she does not know the exact reason behind it.
The earlier incident with Mr. Modi in Oslo
On 18 May, Ms. Svendsen asked Mr. Modi a question at a joint press conference with Norway’s Prime Minister. The visa cancellation claim came a few months after that. As Mr. Modi left the stage that day, she asked him why he was not answering journalists’ questions. She said: “Why are you not taking some questions from the freest press in the world?”
That incident started a wide debate about press freedom in a democracy and the role of journalists. Some BJP supporters criticised Ms. Svendsen. They argued that the event was a press briefing and not a press conference. Mr. Amit Malviya, then head of the BJP’s campaign cell, called her question “the incoherent rant of a disobedient journalist.” Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi criticised Mr. Modi’s response. He said it hurt India’s image.
Later, at another press briefing held by the Indian embassy, Ms. Svendsen asked whether Mr. Modi would face critical questions on human rights and from Indian journalists. An official of India’s Ministry of External Affairs gave a long speech on India’s history and civilisational heritage. He did not directly answer her questions.
Bharat Summit on 13 and 14 November
The Congress party’s “Bharat Summit” is due to take place on 13 and 14 November at the HITEX venue of the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Telangana Chief Minister Mr. A Revanth Reddy and the head of Congress’s Foreign Cell, Mr. Salman Khurshid, are leading the event. Organisers say more than 1,000 participants will attend. They include elected representatives, policymakers and intellectuals from over 70 countries.
Ms. Svendsen says she still hopes to reach Hyderabad on time. She has asked the Indian government to rethink its decision. She asked whether officials will let her enter India even though she has a visa, political clearance and a summit invitation. She said: “The ball is now in your court.” The Indian government has not yet responded publicly to her claims.
