Who is Helle Lyng Svendsen, the Norwegian journalist at the center of PM Modi’s Oslo controversy? | Today’s news
Helle Lyng Svendsen, a Norwegian journalist and columnist for Dagsavisen in Oslo, made global headlines after she challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he was leaving a joint press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stør in Oslo, asking why he did not want to take questions from “the freest press in the world”.
Turning to X, she declared, “Narendra Modi wouldn’t take my question; I didn’t expect him to. Norway is number one in the world press freedom index, India is 157.”
The Embassy of India in Oslo responded to Svendsen’s social media post, inviting her to a press conference and saying she was “very welcome to come and ask your questions”.
In its message, the embassy said it was holding a media briefing on the prime minister’s visit at 9:30 p.m. at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Oslo and reiterated that she was welcome to raise her questions. Sibi George, Secretary (Western) in the Ministry of External Affairs, was confronted by two Dutch journalists in The Hague on Saturday evening over concerns about the alleged decline in freedom of expression in India.
Who is Helle Lyng Svendsen?
Before the post about PM Modi, Helle Lyng Svendsen was last active on X on 10 April 2024 when she shared an article about young people dealing with cocaine addiction. Before that, her previous post dates back to 2022, while in 2021 she again shared a post showing PM Modi along with world leaders tossing a coin at the Rome G20 summit.
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Although she did not get to interview the prime minister, her online presence has seen a sharp rise. Her follower count, which was less than 800 before Monday, now exceeds 17,000 and continues to grow rapidly.
According to her Muck Rack profile, Lyng has worked as a freelance journalist with several Norwegian media outlets as well as MSN. She is currently associated as a commentator with the Norwegian paper Dagsavisen, whose circulation is said to be less than 14,000.
“I verified (X) today because I had a typo that I wanted to fix and had to pay for it. Then I got a blue tag. And yes, I’m usually more active on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook,” she said on X.
India denies the allegations of human rights violations
For the second time in three days, India strongly rejected allegations of human rights abuses, emphasizing the country’s constitutional commitment to justice, freedom and freedom of expression.
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Sibi George said this in response to a question from Svendsen, who asked why India should be trusted in light of allegations of human rights abuses. The senior diplomat was addressing a press conference on Monday evening to brief the media about PM Modi’s bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Stør.
Meanwhile, the row in India escalated back after Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi addressed X and said, “When there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear. What will happen to India’s image when the world sees the panic of a compromised Prime Minister and runs away from a few questions?”
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A few hours later, Helle Lyng Svendsen reached out to Gandhi and asked if he would be available for a telephone interview. “Hello, would you be available for a telephone interview… It would be interesting to hear how you view the (prime minister’s) visit to Norway,” she wrote.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya refuted the claims and described Svendsen as a “delinquent journalist”. He went on to target Congress, saying the party had “crowned” Svendsen’s “incoherent rant”.
“The mad Congress ecosystem led by Rahul Gandhi is cringing at the incoherent ramblings of a delinquent journalist. One wonders if like the journalist in question, the Congress leadership is also taking on those who do not want to see a strong and powerful India,” Malviya said.
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