Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng took to X on Wednesday, May 20, to say her Instagram account had been suspended. “Throughout all day I have struggled to log onto my Instagram account. Now I have been suspended. It is a small prize to pay for press freedom, but I’ve never experienced it before,” she wrote.
Lyng’s robust questioning had gained attention after she confronted Modi on alleged human rights violations in India during his visit to the Norwegian capital on May 18 as part of his Europe tour. Earlier, she had also asked the Ministry of External Affairs why Modi does not hold press conferences at home or abroad.
In response, Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Sibi George launched into a lengthy, rhetorical reply, harking back to India’s 5,000 year old civilisation and describing India as the world’s largest democracy. He spoke of AI summits, the COVID 19 pandemic, the Constitution and yoga, but did not address the specific questions on rising hate crimes against minorities or why Modi has gone 15 years without directly fielding press queries.
“We have a Constitution that guarantees the rights of the people, fundamental rights of the people. We have equal rights for the women of our country, which is very important,” George said, adding that India granted women the right to vote in 1947—“several decades before many countries did.”
When Lyng attempted to reintroduce her original question, the exchange turned tense. “Please do not interrupt me. This is my press conference,” George snapped. Lyng later clarified she had stepped out briefly to get water, but by the time she returned the briefing had moved on.
The MEA secretary went on to highlight India’s recent Assembly elections, describing the high voter turnout as proof of a vibrant democratic process and reiterating that India remains the world’s largest democracy. He eventually touched on Lyng’s concern about human rights violations, saying, “If anyone’s rights are violated, they have the right to go to the courts.”
By that point, however, George appeared visibly agitated and began criticising sections of independent media, blaming them for negative perceptions abroad. “People have no understanding. They read one or two reports from some god forsaken ignorant NGOs and then come and ask questions,” he said.
Lyng had earlier posted a video of Modi standing beside his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Støre, and asked, “Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” Modi walked calmly out of the room without answering.
Reflecting on the incident, Lyng said she was not surprised by the walk out. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not take my question; I was not expecting him to,” she wrote on X. “Norway sits at number one on the World Press Freedom Index, India is at 157th, alongside Palestine, the UAE and Cuba. It is our job to question the powers we cooperate with.”