Norwegian journalist who challenged Modi says her Facebook, Instagram suspended

ISLAMABAD: Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng said her Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended after she publicly questioned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his delegation over press freedom and human rights during Modi’s visit to Norway.

The controversy began after Lyng asked Modi why he would not take questions from Norwegian journalists following a joint appearance between Indian and Norwegian officials. 

Video from the event showed Modi continuing toward an elevator without responding to the question.

A subsequent press briefing involving Indian officials also drew criticism from Lyng, who said concerns regarding human rights and press freedom were not directly addressed.

“I tried to ask if we could just do the back-and-forth answer and question so that I could also have follow-ups, but that was not possible,” Lyng said in an interview with Pakistan TV Digital on Wednesday.

According to Lyng, officials collected multiple questions before responding collectively, limiting opportunities for follow-up questioning. 

She said she repeatedly raised concerns about “human rights and press freedom,” but officials instead spoke about “COVID,” “vaccinations,” “Indian civilization,” and “yoga.”

“At one point he was talking about yoga. I love yoga; it’s great, but I do that in my spare time,” she said.

Lyng said the incident triggered an intense wave of online abuse and threatening messages. 

She also claimed she was repeatedly logged out of her social media accounts before receiving suspension notices from Meta platforms.

“I know there are a lot of people that will send me now quite mean comments and some a little bit more threatening than others,” she said.

Describing the scale of the backlash, Lyng added: “I don’t know to what extent these are real people or are they bots.” 

“I can’t navigate that landscape right now because there’s just too much going on.”

Lyng said she had appealed the suspensions and planned to seek clarification from Meta regarding the status of her accounts.

Pakistan TV Digital has reached out to Meta for clarification on the matter.   

The episode renewed debate around press freedom and political scrutiny in India, particularly as Modi’s government continued to face criticism from rights advocates and international observers over media access and dissent.

Questioning the restrictions placed on journalists during the visit, Lyng asked: “Can they come to Norway without even facing one critical question?”

Explaining why she chose to raise the issue despite expecting little engagement, she said: “It’s my duty to do it because I can. I have the privilege of living in a very free country, so I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t try.”