Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 07:19am on 19 May 2026,Tuesday India Global
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway sparked controversy after Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng shouted, “Why don’t you take questions from the world’s freest press?” as he exited a joint media appearance in Oslo without taking questions. The issue later escalated during a Ministry of External Affairs briefing, where MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George firmly defended India’s democratic values and media environment. “We are proud to be a democracy,” George said, adding that India guarantees constitutional rights and legal remedies for citizens. He also criticised perceptions shaped by “some godforsaken, ignorant NGOs” during the tense exchange with foreign journalists.
