Who is Helle Lyng Svendsen, the Norwegian journalist in the middle of PM Modi's Oslo presser controversy?

Helle Lyng Svendsen, a Norwegian journalist and commentator for the Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen, made global headlines after calling out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he walked away from a joint press appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo, asking why he would not take questions from “the freest press in the world”.

She took to X and stated, “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.”

The Embassy of India, Oslo, responded to Svendsen’s social media post, inviting her to attend a press briefing and saying she was "most welcome to come and ask your questions".

In its message, the embassy said it was hosting a media briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit at 9:30 PM at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Oslo and reiterated that she was welcome to raise her questions there. Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, was earlier confronted on Saturday evening by two Dutch journalists in The Hague over concerns about an alleged decline in freedom of expression in India.

Who is Helle Lyng Svendsen?

Before posting about PM Modi, Helle Lyng Svendsen had last been active on X on 10 April 2024, when she shared an article on young people dealing with cocaine addiction. Prior to that, her previous post dates back to 2022, while in 2021, she had reshared a post showing PM Modi alongside world leaders tossing a coin at the G20 Rome Summit.

Although she did not manage to interview the Prime Minister, her online presence saw a sharp rise. Her follower count, which stood at under 800 before Monday, has now crossed 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 newspaper Dagsavisen, which has reportedly a circulation of fewer than 14,000.

"I verified (X) myself today, because I had a typo I wanted to edit, and I had to pay to edit it. Then I got the blue mark. And yes, I am usually more active on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook," she said on X.

India rejects human rights violation allegations

For the second time in three days, India firmly dismissed allegations of human rights violations, underscoring the country's constitutional commitment to justice, liberty and freedom of expression.

Sibi George made the remarks in response to a question from Svendsen, who asked why India should be trusted in light of accusations of human rights abuses. The senior diplomat was speaking at a press conference on Monday night to brief the media on PM Modi's bilateral talks with Norwegian PM Støre.

Meanwhile, the row escalated back in India after Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi took to X and said, “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?”

A few hours later, Helle Lyng Svendsen reached out to Gandhi, asking if he would be available for a phone interview. “Hello, would you be available for a phone interview... It would be interesting to hear how you view the (PM’s) visit to Norway,” she wrote.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya rebutted the claims and described Svendsen as a “delinquent journalist”. He further targeted the Congress, stating that the party was “crowning over" Svendsen's "incoherent rant".

"The lunatic Congress ecosystem led by Rahul Gandhi is crowing over a delinquent journalist's incoherent rant. One wonders if, like the journalist in question, the Congress leadership is also on the take of those who do not want to see a strong and powerful India," Malviya said.