Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has been barred from entering India to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, despite having secured a visa for the trip.
The last-minute cancellation occurred on Wednesday just moments before she was scheduled to depart from Oslo.
Ms. Lyng, a commentator with the Oslo-based daily Dagsavisen, was slated to participate as a panelist during the event, which runs from November 13 to 14. She had been invited to speak on the intersection of media, press freedom, and democracy, according to reporting by The Hindu.
I got a visa to India and was supposed to leave this morning to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. I had been invited as a panelist and speaker on the future of media and press freedom. But «orders from above» in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa. Here… pic.twitter.com/ihAuZdUCmc
Indian Embassy Revokes Ms. Lyng's Visa
The situation escalated when Ms. Lyng received word from the Indian Embassy in Norway that her travel permission had been pulled. In a video message posted to social media, she alleged that the decision came via “orders from above” originating from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs. The Hindu confirmed through access to her travel documents that a visa was initially granted before being subsequently revoked.
“I got a visa to India and was supposed to leave this morning to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. I had been invited as a panellist and speaker on the future of media and press freedom. But «orders from above» in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa,” she said in her post on X. She further clarified that the embassy staff in Norway had been helpful throughout the application process, noting that the disruption stemmed from the ministry’s intervention.
According to Vartha Bharati, the journalist was informed of the cancellation a mere ten minutes before she was due to leave for the airport. The Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs have not provided a public explanation for the decision, despite requests for comment reported by Scandasia.
Ms. Lyng Links Entry Denial to Questioning Prime Minister Modi
Ms. Lyng has openly suggested that the denial of entry may be linked to her previous public questioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During a visit by the Indian Prime Minister to Oslo in May 2026, she challenged him regarding press freedom.
“Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” she asked at the time. Mr. Modi did not respond to the query, and the exchange drew widespread attention on social media.
The Bharat Summit, which is being held in Hyderabad, is expected to host over 1,000 participants from 70 countries. Ms. Lyng was scheduled to appear on a panel alongside the director of the Institute for Media and Communications, Leonard Novy, and the president of the Press Club of India, Sangeeta Baruah Pisharoty.
Editors Guild of India Demands Reasons for Visa Cancellation
The Editors Guild of India (EGI) issued a statement on Thursday, November 12, expressing “deep concern” regarding the last-minute visa cancellation. The EGI has demanded that the government disclose the specific reasons for the refusal and has called for the decision to be reversed.
Statement on Cancellation of Visa Given to Norwegian Journalist Helle Lyng pic.twitter.com/iGXZaOjQ6t
In her video, Ms. Lyng addressed Union Home Minister Amit Shah directly, noting that there were still 48 hours remaining before her scheduled session. She urged the government to reconsider, stating that she remained ready to travel if the restriction were lifted. As of November 12, 2026, the Indian government has maintained silence on the matter, leaving the official reasoning behind the cancellation unverified.
While Ms. Lyng claims the move is “politically motivated,” the lack of an official statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs keeps the specific administrative grounds for the visa revocation unclear.
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has claimed that her Indian visa was cancelled at the last minute, moments before she was scheduled to leave for the airport in Norway to attend the Congress-organised Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, where she was invited to speak on media, press…
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