Hyderabad: Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has alleged that her Indian visa was cancelled shortly before she was due to leave for the airport in Norway to attend the Congress-organised Bharat Summit in Hyderabad.
Lyng, who was invited to speak at the event on media, press freedom and democracy, claimed that she had already received her visa and political clearance when the Indian Embassy in Norway informed her that she would not be allowed to travel to India.
In a post on X, she attributed the decision to what she described as “orders from above” in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The allegations have not been independently verified. A response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the MHA was awaited at the time of reporting.
Helle Lyng says embassy called 10 minutes before airport departure
In a video accompanying her post, Lyng described how she had been preparing for her first visit to India and had already packed her bags.
She claimed that the Indian Embassy in Norway called her around 10 minutes before she was due to leave for the airport and informed her that she could not travel to India.
“I got a visa to India and was supposed to leave this morning to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. I had been invited as a panelist and speaker on the future of media and press freedom. But ‘orders from above’ in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa,” she wrote on X.
Lyng said she was confused by the communication because, according to her, she had secured the necessary political clearance and had a valid visa in her passport.
She further claimed that the embassy told her that although the visa had been issued, she would not be permitted to enter India.
Journalist suggests decision may be linked to criticism of PM Modi
Lyng questioned the reasons behind the alleged action and suggested that it could be connected to her previous criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government.
She referred to an interaction in Oslo in May 2026, during which she said she had questioned Modi, as well as opinion pieces published in her Norwegian newspaper and her online criticism of the government’s policies.
Addressing Union Home Minister Amit Shah in her video, Lyng alleged that the decision had come from his ministry. However, she did not present independent evidence establishing the reason for the alleged visa cancellation.
She appealed to Shah to reconsider the matter, saying she could still travel on another flight and reach Hyderabad before her scheduled appearance at the summit.
What is the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad?
The Bharat Summit, organised by the Congress, is scheduled to take place on November 13 and 14 at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HITEX).
The event is being organised for the second consecutive year under the leadership of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Congress Foreign Cell head Salman Khurshid.
According to the information provided by the organisers, more than 1,000 participants, including elected representatives, policymakers and intellectuals from over 70 countries, have confirmed their participation.
Lyng was invited to speak on the future of media, press freedom and democracy.
