‘Visa matters are sovereign functions’: MEA responds to Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng's India entry row
New Delhi/IBNS: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has responded to Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng's claim that her Indian visa was cancelled shortly before she was scheduled to travel to Hyderabad for the Bharat Summit, saying visa decisions fall under the "sovereign functions" of any government, media reports said.
At its weekly briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "Visa matters are sovereign functions of any country or any government. So that is what I have to say."
Helle Lyng says visa was cancelled minutes before departure
Earlier, Lyng claimed in an Instagram video that the Indian Embassy in Norway informed her about the cancellation just minutes before she was due to leave for the airport.
"Today I was supposed to go to India, the world's largest democracy for the first time in my life. I was very excited. I had already packed my bags.
"I was ready to go. But as I was leaving for the airport, literally 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave, the Indian Embassy of Norway called me, and they said that 'you can't go to India today'," she said.
"I'm a little confused because I have political clearance, a visa and a conference in Hyderabad, Telangana waiting for me to arrive. I'm supposed to be a speaker," she added.
Journalist links visa denial to question posed to PM Modi
Lyng's visa denial comes months after she questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Oslo in May 2026, asking why he did not take questions from the media.
She had posed the question as Modi was leaving after a joint statement with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
In her Instagram video, Lyng said she suspected the decision could be linked to her question to Modi, her criticism of the Indian government and business tycoons Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, or her opinion pieces on the Cockroach Janta Party movement.
Addressing Union Home Minister Amit Shah, she said, "Apparently it's your department, the Ministry of Home Affairs that has said that I can't enter the country. I don't understand why but it does feel politically motivated."
"I'm thinking maybe it has something to do with the fact that I used my freedom of press back in May 2026 to question the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi here in Oslo, Norway," she added.
Lyng raises questions over criticism of Adani, Ambani
The journalist also wondered whether her critical opinion pieces about Modi and his governance had contributed to the decision.
"I'm thinking it might also be because I've used my freedom of expression to criticise Narendra Modi and his governance, both in public opinion pieces for my Norwegian newspaper but also online for the Indian people to see," she said.
Lyng further questioned whether her criticism of Adani and Ambani, whom she described as alleged close associates of the Prime Minister, could have played a role.
"I'm also questioning whether my criticism of them also might have something to do with this," she said.
She also raised the possibility that her positive opinion pieces about the Cockroach Janta Party movement and a recent interview with its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, could have been factors behind the visa decision.
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
