India denies entry to journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen who questioned PM
Norwegian journalist Hege Ling Swensen claims she was barred from entering India despite having a visa and political clearance for the summit.
Just before the Congress's Bharat Summit scheduled for November 13 and 14 in Hyderabad, Norwegian journalist Hege Ling Svendsen has alleged that the Indian government revoked her visa and prevented her from traveling to the country. She was set to participate as a speaker in a session on media, press freedom, and the future of democracy at the conference. According to the journalist, she had a visa for India and had also received political clearance to attend the summit. However, just about ten minutes before leaving for the airport for her flight, she received a call from the Indian embassy in Norway stating that she could not travel to India.
Ling, in her video, directly addressed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, expressing her confusion over the sudden decision to halt her travel after receiving the visa and political clearance. She described it as a politically motivated action. However, she has not made any documents public to support her allegations. She stated that the Indian embassy did not provide her with a clear reason for the decision. She also mentioned that the behavior of the embassy officials had been cooperative earlier, and she does not hold them responsible for this incident. According to her allegations, the decision to bar her was made at the level of the Home Ministry.
Hege Ling, associated with the Oslo newspaper 'Dagsavisen', released a video on social media on November 11 detailing the incident. She alleged that the decision to revoke her visa was made at the level of the Home Ministry. However, independent verification of her claim is not yet available. There has been no immediate official clarification from the Indian government or the Ministry of External Affairs regarding this matter.
Hege Ling has mentioned potential reasons behind this action as her journalistic work and criticism of the Indian government. She stated that her questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2026 in Norway's capital Oslo could possibly be a reason for this decision. She also referred to articles published in her newspaper where she criticized the policies of the Modi government. Additionally, she mentioned her comments on industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, as well as positive articles about a political campaign in India called the 'Cockroach People's Party' and her interview with its founder Abhijit Dikpe.
Ling's name was also in the news this May when she publicly questioned Prime Minister Modi in Oslo. During a joint press conference on May 18 between Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, as both leaders were leaving the stage, Ling asked Modi why he did not take questions from the world's most independent press. Modi did not respond to her question and left the venue. The video of this incident went viral on social media. Ling later stated that she did not expect a response from the Prime Minister, but as a journalist, it was her job to ask questions.
This incident has elicited varied reactions from the political and media circles in India. Some supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party objected to Ling's manner of questioning. At that time, Amit Malviya, associated with the BJP's publicity department, criticized her, calling her a 'disorderly journalist'. Some argued that it was a press briefing, not a formal press conference, and therefore, questions should not have been expected. On the other hand, opposition leaders and those in journalism viewed the incident as a reflection of the Prime Minister's style of engaging with the press and his willingness to face journalists' questions.
The debate over the Prime Minister's press conferences in India is not new. Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, he has faced criticism for not holding regular open press conferences. Critics argue that in a democratic system, it is essential for the Prime Minister and the government to face questions from independent journalists. Supporters of the government, in response, cite the Prime Minister's public events, interviews, and media interactions. However, the Oslo incident once again raised the question of how much opportunity journalists have to directly question leaders at the highest levels on international platforms.
The conference that Ling was supposed to attend is the Bharat Summit organized by the Congress. It is scheduled to take place on November 13 and 14 at the HITEX exhibition center in Hyderabad. The event is being led by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Congress's head of foreign affairs Salman Khurshid. According to the organizers, more than 1,000 representatives from over 70 countries, including elected representatives, policymakers, and intellectuals, are expected to participate. Ling was to speak on the second day of the conference, November 14, in a session on the interrelationship between media, press freedom, and democracy. It has been reported that Sangeeta Barua Pisharoty, president of the Press Club of India, Leonard Novi from the Media and Communication Institute, and Francesco Lapeneta were also to participate in this session. The session was to be moderated by Congress MP Pawan Khera.
This entire matter also has a political aspect. The Bharat Summit is being organized by the Congress, and discussions on issues like democracy and press freedom at the international level are expected. Thus, the allegation of preventing a foreign journalist from participating in the conference has naturally become a subject of political debate.
The most important question in this matter remains unanswered: If Hege Ling was issued a visa and political clearance to attend the conference, why was the decision made to stop her just before her travel? Was the visa formally revoked, or was she merely informed not to travel? Was there any security or administrative reason behind it? And if so, why was she not informed about it? Answers to these questions can only be provided by the official response of the Indian government.
Ling has stated that she had about 48 hours before her scheduled speaking engagement and she wants the Indian government to reconsider its decision. She appealed to Home Minister Amit Shah to allow her to reach Hyderabad. As of the morning of November 12, there had been no public response from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs, or the Indian embassy regarding her allegations.
