Twenty Eight years old Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, who drew attention after attempting to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint media briefing in Norway, has claimed that her Instagram and Facebook accounts were suspended amid a wave of online backlash.
Posting on X, Lyng said she had been unable to access her Instagram account throughout the day before it was suspended. “It is a small prize to pay for press freedom, but I’ve never experienced it before,” she wrote while sharing a screenshot of the alleged suspension notice.
The controversy began after Lyng attempted to question PM Modi during a joint media interaction with Norway’s prime minister. “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” she shouted as the Indian prime minister left the room. While it was unclear whether Modi heard the remark, the moment quickly went viral on social media. The basic question remains did Prime Minister Modi heard her shout out with a question? May be our PM responded to her ( Call her to India we will speak to her). Today India stands tall the world envies our fast growth and hence are too quick to judge.
The roar the world will hear.
Just wait!
Lyng defended her actions on X, saying she did not expect Modi to answer her question. Referring to global press freedom rankings, she wrote that Norway occupies the top spot on the World Press Freedom Index while India ranks 157th.
Lyng works for Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen.
As the exchange triggered political reactions online, the Indian embassy in Norway invited Lyng to a separate press briefing later in the day. During that interaction, she again raised questions related to India’s credibility and human rights record. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George responded by highlighting India’s civilisational history, contributions such as chess and yoga, and the country’s Covid vaccine outreach.
The episode also sparked a fierce social media backlash against Lyng, with several users accusing her of being a “foreign plant”, “spy” and even a “Chinese proxy”, citing some of her earlier articles on China and President Xi Jinping. Others argued that the event was a joint media briefing rather than a formal press conference.
As criticism intensified, Lyng issued another clarification on X. “I never thought I would have to write this, but I am not a foreign spy of any sort, sent out by any foreign government. My work is journalism,” she said.Despite the controversy, the incident dramatically boosted Lyng’s visibility online. Her X following reportedly surged from fewer than 800 followers to many more that multiplied fast without any paid boost.
Lyng dares to explore and is a brave girl. India will always protect the rights of women and that too a journalist. We have to take care that no fringe element try to harm her or troll her online. This will only damage our image in front of the whole world and I am sure our government will never want this to happen.