NEW DELHI, Nov 12: Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng alleged that her Indian visa was cancelled shortly before she was to travel to Hyderabad for the Bharat Summit scheduled for November 13 and 14.
Lyng said in a social media video that the Indian Embassy in Norway called her about 10 minutes before she was to leave for the airport and asked her not to travel to India. She claimed that the visa was cancelled on the instructions of the Union Home Ministry.
She had been invited to speak at a session titled ‘The Future of Media’ at the summit. Lyng said she held a valid visa and the required political clearance to attend the event.
Lyng had drawn attention in May 2026 after asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a joint press conference in Oslo with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store why he was reluctant to answer questions from journalists in a country with one of the world’s freest media environments.
She said she suspected that her earlier question to Modi and her criticism of the Indian government may have led to the visa cancellation, though she did not provide any official evidence to support the claim. She also referred to her comments on media freedom, human rights and Modi’s ties with industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.
Lyng said embassy officials asked her to visit the mission for the visa cancellation process, but she sought a written explanation. She said she had not received any written reason.
Sources associated with the summit organisers said about 120 foreign delegates were unable to attend because of visa delays or rejections. There was no official confirmation of the figure.
The Union Home Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs had not issued any official response. Lyng sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention to restore permission for her visit.
