Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svends on Tuesday questioned Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre over why Norway continues to refer to India as a democracy when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not held a formal press conference in 12 years. In a post on X after PM Modi’s visit to Oslo, Svends said she was disappointed that neither leader took questions from the media during the event, which she described as unusual in Norway’s political culture.
However, PM Store reportedly returned to the room after seeing off PM Modi and spoke to Norwegian journalists. “Asking my prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre about why Norway refers to India as a democracy when the Indian PM has not had a press conference in 12 years at home. Isn’t a free press important to democracy anymore?” Svends posted on X. She said that PM Støre defended India by pointing to its elections, differences in press culture and the country’s massive population.
Invitation to Rahul Gandhi
What began as a tense exchange during a diplomatic event in Oslo has since snowballed into a wider political and diplomatic controversy, with the Norwegian journalist now reaching out to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for an interview after PM Modi declined to answer her question during the visit.
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Svends first grabbed attention after a video showed her attempting to question PM Modi as he walked off stage alongside Støre. In the clip, she can be heard asking, “PM Modi, why don’t you take questions from the freest press in the world?”
The Prime Minister did not stop to respond and continued walking, triggering sharp reactions online and quickly turning the moment into a political flashpoint.
Primeminister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to.
Norway has the number one spot on the World Press Freedom Index, India is at 157th, competing with Palestine, Emirates & Cuba.
It is our job to question the powers we cooperate… pic.twitter.com/vZHYZnAvev
— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026 Soon after the video surfaced, Rahul Gandhi shared the clip on X and slammed the Prime Minister. “When there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear. What happens to India’s image when the world sees a compromised PM panic and run from a few questions?” Gandhi wrote.
Svends later replied directly to Gandhi’s post, asking whether he would be available for a phone interview on Tuesday. “It would be interesting to hear how you view the visit to Norway,” she wrote.
The journalist also uploaded the footage on her own X account and framed the incident around global press freedom rankings. “Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to,” she wrote. Svends pointed out that Norway currently holds the top position on the World Press Freedom Index, while India ranks 157th.
MEA’s response to the journo’s questions
The controversy prompted a formal response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which defended India’s democratic credentials for the second time during PM Modi’s ongoing European tour amid growing questions over media access.
As debate intensified online, the Embassy of India in Norway publicly invited Svends to attend an official press briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit.
“The Embassy is organizing a press briefing on the Prime Minister’s Visit this evening at 9:30 pm at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel. You are most welcome to come and ask your questions there,” the embassy posted.
At the briefing, officials from India’s Ministry of External Affairs faced pointed questions from Norwegian journalists, including Svends herself. She questioned Indian officials about human rights concerns and whether PM Modi would begin taking critical questions from the Indian media.
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Responding to the questions, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George strongly defended India’s democratic structure and constitutional protections. Appearing visibly firm during the interaction, George urged the journalist not to interrupt him while he answered.
“We are one-sixth of the total population of the world, but not one-sixth of the problems of the world,” he said. “We have a constitution which guarantees the fundamental rights of the people,” George added.
The senior official further stressed that India believes in equality and human rights, adding that citizens have the right to approach courts if their rights are violated.
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