Helle Lyng said the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled her visa despite her having political clearance for the Bharat Summit.
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng said on Wednesday that she has been stopped from travelling to India to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. According to reports by The Hindu and The Indian Express, Lyng had been invited as a speaker and panellist to discuss the future of media and press freedom.
Lyng stated on X that although she possessed a valid visa and political clearance for the conference, orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelled her entry. She directed a message to Home Minister Amit Shah in a video post, noting that her scheduled session is in 48 hours.
The journalist previously drew attention during a May 2026 press briefing in Oslo involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. During that event, she questioned why the Prime Minister did not accept queries from media outlets she characterised as being among the freest in the world.
Lyng was scheduled to participate in a session on November 14 alongside Leonard Novy, Sangeeta Baruah Pisharoty, and Francesco Lapenta, with Pawan Khera moderating. The Ministry of External Affairs has not immediately responded to her claims, and the Indian Embassy in Norway has not released a statement regarding the denial of permission.
