Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has alleged that her Indian visa was cancelled at the last moment, preventing her from travelling to Hyderabad to participate in the Congress-organised Bharat Summit, where she had been invited to speak on issues related to media, press freedom and democracy.

According to Lyng, she had already obtained an Indian visa and received political clearance for her visit. However, shortly before departing for the airport in Norway, she was informed by the Indian Embassy that she would not be permitted to travel to India.

In a post on social media, Lyng claimed that the decision was taken following what she described as "orders from above" within India's Ministry of Home Affairs. She stated: "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 panellist and speaker on the future of media and press freedom. But ‘orders from above’ in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa."

As of now, a response from India's Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the allegations is awaited.

In a video message, Lyng said she had been looking forward to her first visit to India and had already completed her travel preparations when she received the unexpected communication.

"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 have a visa in my passport. 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 calls me, and they said, 'You can't go to India today'," she claimed.

The journalist said she was confused by the development because all required permissions had reportedly been secured and she was expected to participate in discussions at the event.

"And I'm a little confused, because I have political clearance, I have a visa, and I have a conference in Hyderabad, Telangana, waiting for me to arrive. I'm supposed to be a speaker there about media, about press freedom, about democracy, and how they're all intertwined," she said.

Lyng further alleged that embassy officials informed her that despite her visa having been issued, she would not be allowed to enter India.

Addressing Union Home Minister Amit Shah directly in the video, she claimed the decision originated within the ministry. "So they tell me that although my visa is issued, I will not be allowed to enter India. And that's where you come in, Amit Shah. Apparently, it's your department, the Ministry of Home Affairs, that has said that I can't enter the country," she alleged.

She also questioned the reasons behind the alleged move, suggesting that it appeared politically motivated. Lyng speculated that the decision could be linked to questions she directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Oslo in May 2026, as well as her public criticism of the Indian government.

"And 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 the press back in May 2026 to question the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, here in Oslo, Norway," she claimed.

She further referred to opinion articles published in her Norwegian newspaper and her online commentary critical of the Prime Minister's governance, suggesting these may have influenced the alleged 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 added.

Despite the setback, Lyng noted that there was still time for the situation to be reversed, as her scheduled appearance at the summit was still nearly two days away. She appealed to Amit Shah to reconsider the matter and allow her to travel.

"Luckily, we still have time, Mr Shah, because I'm not set to go on stage before in 48 hours, which means that I could get on any of the next planes to Asia that would hopefully take me to Hyderabad on time," she said.

She concluded by arguing that her participation would contribute to international discussion and expressed hope that she would still be able to attend the gathering.

The Bharat Summit is scheduled to take place on 13 and 14 November at HITEX in Hyderabad. Organised by the Congress party for the second consecutive year under the leadership of Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Congress Foreign Cell head Salman Khurshid, the event is expected to bring together more than 1,000 participants, including elected representatives, policymakers and intellectuals from over 70 countries.

ANI