Who is Helle Lyng? Norwegian journalist sparks online storm after questioning PM Modi

A little-known Norwegian journalist unexpectedly found herself at the centre of a major controversy after attempting to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi following his joint media briefing with Norway’s prime minister.

“Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” journalist Helle Lyng
shouted as Modi exited the room.

It remains unclear whether the Prime Minister heard the question, but the brief exchange quickly snowballed into a wider debate over press freedom and brought intense attention to Lyng and her social media activity.

Lyng, who works with Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen, later defended her actions 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,” she wrote.

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, primarily in Norway now.

— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026

As the video gained traction online and opposition leaders criticised Modi over the incident, the Indian Embassy in Norway publicly tagged Lyng and
invited her to attend a separate press briefing later in the day.

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

Press briefing turns heated

The second interaction also turned tense after Lyng questioned India’s credibility and human rights record.

MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George responded at length, touching on India’s civilisational history, yoga, chess and Covid-19 vaccine diplomacy. However, much of the online attention focused on his expressions and exchanges with the journalist rather than the substance of the briefing.

Also read:
_Who is Sibi George, MEA secretary, who gave a stinging reply on press freedom in Norway?_

As interruptions continued during the interaction, George pushed back. At one point, Lyng briefly walked out of the briefing room before returning. The exchange, captured on camera, further fuelled social media debate.

Online trolling and ‘spy’ allegations

Soon after, Lyng became the target of intense online trolling, with some social media users labelling her a “foreign plant”, “spy” and even a “Chinese proxy”. Critics pointed to her earlier articles praising China and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Several users also noted that the event involving Modi and the Norwegian Prime Minister was a joint media appearance and not a formal press conference.

Others, however, defended Lyng, highlighting that Modi has not held a formal press conference since taking office in 2014.

As the abuse intensified, Lyng issued a clarification.

“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 posted.

My colleague and I asked questions tonight both on why we should trust India given the human violations rights, and also about the visit.

I tried multiple times to get them to be specific on human rights, but I was unsuccessful. The representatives talked about India’s effort…

— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026

The controversy also brought scrutiny to Lyng’s social media activity.

Before posting about Modi, her previous activity on X dated back to April 2024, when she shared an article on cocaine addiction among young people. Prior to that, her account showed limited activity, including a 2021 repost related to the G20 Summit in Rome.

Some social media users claimed the inactivity suggested she had been “planted” to embarrass India internationally. Others pointed out that her X account had received verification only days before the incident.

Lyng later clarified that she was more active on other social media platforms.

“I verified (X) myself today, because I had a typo I wanted to edit, and I had to pay to edit it. Then I got the blue mark. And yes, I am usually more active on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook,” she wrote.

Despite the controversy, Lyng’s online following surged rapidly. Her X account reportedly grew from around 800 followers to over 17,000 within a day.

Journalist’s background draws attention

A review of Lyng’s public profile on Muck Rack shows that she has worked as a freelancer for multiple Norwegian publications and MSN. She is currently associated with Dagsavisen, a Norwegian newspaper with a relatively small circulation.

Her previous articles show criticism of the administration of US President Donald Trump, while some pieces have praised China and Xi Jinping. She has also written critically about Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk.

Political row spills into India

The controversy soon entered India’s political debate, with opposition leaders targeting Modi over the incident.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “panicking” and “running away”.

“When there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear. What happens to India’s image when the world sees a compromised PM panic and run from a few questions?” Gandhi posted on X.

Hours later, Lyng publicly asked Gandhi if he would be available for an interview to discuss PM Modi’s Norway visit. Gandhi had not responded at the time the article was published.

Meanwhile, the BJP strongly rejected the criticism. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya described Lyng as a “delinquent journalist” and noted that the Norwegian Prime Minister had also not taken questions from the media.

“What started as a journalist attempting to question PM Modi has now evolved into a larger political and social media controversy, spilling into India’s domestic political discourse.”