KARACHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced questions over his refusal to interact with the media during a visit to Norway on Monday, after a Norwegian journalist publicly challenged him for not taking questions following a joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo.
The incident occurred after Modi and Store concluded their joint press statement. As the two leaders were leaving, Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng called out: “Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?”
Modi, who had described India as the world’s largest democracy during his remarks, left the venue without responding. According to reports, Store later returned to speak to journalists.
Later, Lyng posted on X: “Prime minister of India, 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, competing with Palestine, Emirates & Cuba. It is our job to question the powers we cooperate with.”
The journalist also said she later attempted to ask Modi another question near an elevator but was unable to finish before the doors closed. Sharing a video on X, she wrote: “What I was wondering was whether he thinks he deserves the trust of the Nordic countries given his human rights violations and his restrictions on press freedom”.
The Indian embassy in Oslo later posted an invitation on X asking Lyng to attend a press briefing on Modi’s visit. At the briefing, Lyng asked India’s Ministry of External Affairs secretary: “I am wondering as we strengthen our partnership, why should we trust you? Can you promise that you will try to stop human rights violations that goes on in your country? And also, will the prime minister start taking critical questions from the Indian press at some point in the future?”
The issue also drew political reaction in India. Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi shared a clip of the incident on X and wrote: “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?”
Earlier, during Modi’s visit to the Netherlands on Saturday, a Dutch journalist asked India’s MEA representative why the Indian and Dutch prime ministers were not available for media questions after their meeting.
“In the Netherlands, there is a tradition that after such a visit, both prime ministers are available for questions. I wonder what the reason is that that is not the case today”, the journalist said.
