Hyderabad: Norwegian journalist who questioned PM denied entry

Hyderabad: Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, who was in the news earlier this year, has said that she was not allowed to leave for her flight to Hyderabad in India for a conference where she was supposed to be a speaker. The journalist took to social media and called out Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the issue, stating that denying her entry was “politically motivated”.

”This message is for Amit Shah….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 for the airport, literally 10 minutes before I was supposed to leave, the Indian Embassy of Norway calls me and they say ‘you can’t go to India today’. And I am a little confused because I have politically 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 are all intertwined. 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 i can’t enter the country. And I don’t understand why. But it does feel politically motivated,” stated Helle Lyng.

The Norwegian journalist went on to state that her entry denial could have to do with the fact that she used her press freedom to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Oslo, Norway, in May this year. “I’m thinking it might also be because I’ve used my freedom of expression to criticise Narendra Modi both in public opinion pieces for my Norwegian newspaper and also online for the Indian people to see,” she added.

View this post on Instagram

Helle Lyng also went to question whether her criticism of the corporate groups Adani and Ambani, who she called “two of Narendra Modi’s alleged close friends, the two powerful billionaires of India and Asia”, was behind the entire in fiasco.The Norwegian journalist also insinuated that her entry denial “positive” coverage and interviews of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in India could also be behind the the entry denial to India.

Ball is in your court: Helle Lyng to Amit Shah

Lyng however did not lose hope and said that there is still time for the conference. “Luckily we still have time Mr Shah because I’m not set to go on stage for 48 hours which means that I could get on any of the next planes of Asia that would hopefully take me to Hyderabad on time. So the ball is now in your court. What will the world’s largest democracy do?” she questioned.

Account suspended earlier in May

Helle Lyng earlier in May said that her Instagram account has been suspended. The suspension came after she questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a press conference, which the PM ignored. The journalist gained traction after confronting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on human rights violation in India during the latter’s visit to Oslo on May 18 as part of his Europe tour.

Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS.