'That's where you come in, Amit Shah': Norwegian journalist claims visa revoked before Bharat Summit

Oslo, Norway: Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng has alleged that her Indian visa was cancelled at the last minute, just minutes before she was due to leave for the airport to attend the Congress-organised Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, where she was scheduled to speak on media, press freedom and democracy.

In a post on X, Lyng claimed that she had already secured an Indian visa and political clearance for the visit but was subsequently informed by the Indian Embassy in Norway that she would not be allowed to travel to India. She alleged that the decision had been taken on "orders from above" in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

"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," Lyng claimed in her post.

A response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to the journalist's allegations is awaited.

In a video message accompanying her post, Lyng recounted how she had been preparing for her first visit to India and claimed that the embassy contacted her barely 10 minutes before she was scheduled to leave for the airport.

"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 in the video.

Lyng said she was unable to understand the decision, given that she had obtained the required clearances and had been invited to participate in the Hyderabad conference.

"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 added.

The journalist further alleged that the embassy had informed her that although her visa had been issued, she would not be permitted to enter India.

Addressing Union Home Minister Amit Shah directly in the video, Lyng alleged that the decision had originated from his 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—the Ministry of Home Affairs—that has said that I can't enter the country," she alleged.

Questioning the reasons for the alleged restriction, Lyng suggested that it could be linked to her earlier criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Oslo in May 2026, as well as her writings and commentary on 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 also referred to opinion articles published in her Norwegian newspaper and her online criticism of the Prime Minister's governance, suggesting that these might have played a role in 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 to her claims.

Despite the alleged last-minute communication, Lyng said she could still reach Hyderabad in time for her scheduled appearance at the summit. She appealed to the Union Home Minister to reconsider the decision and allow her to travel to India.

"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.

"So the ball is now in your court. What will the world's largest democracy do? Will I be able to enter the country, or will I not, when I have political clearance, a visa in my passport, a place to be, and most importantly, people both from the international environment, but most important to me, people of India, waiting for me and expecting me to be there? Can we make it work? I think we should make it work," she further claimed.

The Bharat Summit, organised by the Congress, is scheduled to be held on November 13 and 14 at HITEX in Hyderabad. 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.

More than 1,000 participants, including elected representatives, policymakers and intellectuals from over 70 countries, have confirmed their participation in the summit, according to the event details.