Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen became the centre of international attention after publicly heckling Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Oslo, as reported in The Mint.
The incident took place after a joint media appearance involving Modi and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. As Modi was leaving the venue, Svendsen called out asking why he would not take questions from “the freest press in the world”.
Soon afterwards, she posted on X: “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 post rapidly went viral internationally and triggered widespread political debate online.
Indian Embassy Responds Publicly
The Embassy of India in Oslo responded directly to Svendsen’s post and invited her to attend an official media briefing later that evening.
In its public response, the embassy stated that she was “most welcome to come and ask your questions” at a press briefing scheduled at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Oslo.
Dear Ms @HelleLyngSvends,
The Embassy is organizing a press briefing on the Prime Minister’s Visit this evening at 9:30pm at hotel Raddisson BluPlaza hotel. You are most welcome to come and ask your questions there. https://t.co/AyFR6SSH5G— India in Norway (@IndiainNorway) May 18, 2026
The episode came shortly after another confrontation involving Indian officials in Europe. Earlier, Sibi George, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, was questioned by Dutch journalists in The Hague over allegations concerning freedom of expression in India.
Who Is Helle Lyng Svendsen?
According to her Muck Rack profile, Helle Lyng Svendsen has worked as a freelance journalist with several Norwegian media outlets and MSN. She is currently associated as a commentator with the Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen, as reported in OpIndia.
Reports indicate that Dagsavisen has a circulation of fewer than 14,000 readers.
Although the Oslo incident turned her into a viral figure overnight, Svendsen’s prior online activity related to India appeared extremely limited.
Before posting about Modi, her last activity on X reportedly dated back to 10 April 2024, when she shared an article about cocaine addiction among young people. Before that, her earlier posts were sparse, including a repost in 2021 featuring Modi alongside world leaders at the G20 summit in Rome.
Her social media following reportedly surged from under 800 followers to over 17,000 within hours after the Oslo incident.
Responding to questions about her newly acquired blue verification badge on X, Svendsen stated that she had subscribed to the service only recently because she wanted the ability to edit posts. She also remarked that she was usually more active on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Her Coverage Of India
A review of Svendsen’s authored articles on Muck Rack reportedly showed that since January 2025, she had mentioned India only once – in connection with US President Donald Trump threatening tariffs on India.
Her published work showed strong hostility toward Trump while appearing relatively softer toward China and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It is noteworthy that India had never previously been a central focus of her reporting.
Dagsavisen And Funding Networks
The controversy later expanded beyond the journalist herself and moved toward questions about institutional and funding connections linked to Dagsavisen.
Links between billionaire financier George Soros, the Open Society Foundations, Journalismfund Europe and Norway’s Fritt Ord Foundation started making the rounds.
Open Society Foundations is a donor to Journalismfund Europe, while journalism-related grants in Norway are reportedly routed through or connected to the Fritt Ord Foundation.
After the excessive China and Xi Jinping love of disruptive “journalist” Ms Helle Svendsen, we found another interesting link of her
George Soros Open Society Foundation is a donor to journalismfunds. eu whose donations in Norway handled by Fritt Ord Foundation
Fritt Ord… pic.twitter.com/AxyUo6XnQV
— Indian Strategic Studies Forum (@ISSF_India) May 19, 2026
The Fritt Ord Foundation has reportedly provided grants to Dagsavisen, the newspaper where Svendsen works as a commentator.
These connections became a major talking point among political commentators online, especially within Indian political discourse surrounding foreign-funded activism and international media narratives targeting India.
Rahul Gandhi’s Norway Visit Draws Attention Again
The controversy also revived discussion about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his visit to Norway in 2023.
During that visit, Rahul Gandhi met former Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, who is associated with Norway’s opposition politics and is linked to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
The ECFR has previously received support from Soros-linked Open Society Foundations, prompting fresh online speculation and political commentary following the Oslo incident.
Can Rahul Gandhi explain why he went to Norway in 2023 and met with Erna Solberg, who is part of Norway’s opposition party and senior member of European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) an organisation funded by George Soros
The “Dagsavisen” newspaper whose journalist… https://t.co/v6crBwDj5A pic.twitter.com/q6dn7PZlnU
— Muji Singh Rangi (@mujifren) May 19, 2026
One wonders whether ideological and political networks connected through European institutions, think tanks and media funding organisations were influencing international narratives concerning India and the Modi government.
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