Oslo: Norwegian journalist HelleLyng, who drew attention after attempting to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint media briefing in Norway, has claimed that her Instagram and Facebook accounts were suspended amid a wave of online backlash.
Posting on X, Lyng said she had been unable to access her Instagram account throughout the day before it was suspended.
“It is a small prize to pay for press freedom, but I’ve never experienced it before,” she wrote while sharing a screenshot of the alleged suspension notice.
In another post, Lyng informed users trying to contact her through Meta-owned platforms that both her Instagram and Facebook accounts had been suspended. “I have wanted to respond to as many Indians as possible, but my responses will now be delayed. I hope I will get my accounts back,” she wrote while tagging Meta.
The controversy began after Lyng attempted to question PM Modi during a joint media interaction with Norway’s prime minister. “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” she shouted as the Indian prime minister left the room. While it was unclear whether Modi heard the remark, the moment quickly went viral on social media.
Later, Lyng defended her actions on X, saying she did not expect Modi to answer her question. Referring to global press freedom rankings, she wrote that Norway occupies the top spot on the World Press Freedom Index while India ranks 157th. Lyng works for Oslo-based newspaper Dagsavisen.
As the exchange triggered political reactions online, the Indian embassy in Norway invited Lyng to a separate press briefing later in the day. During that interaction, she again raised questions related to India’s credibility and human rights record. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George responded by highlighting India’s civilisational history, contributions such as chess and yoga, and the country’s Covid vaccine outreach.
The episode also sparked a fierce social media backlash against Lyng, with several users accusing her of being a “foreign plant”, “spy” and even a “Chinese proxy”, citing some of her earlier articles on China and President Xi Jinping. Others argued that the event was a joint media briefing rather than a formal press conference.
As criticism intensified, Lyng issued another clarification on X. “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 said.
Despite the controversy, the incident dramatically boosted Lyng’s visibility online. Her X following reportedly surged from fewer than 800 followers before Monday to more than 45,000 within days.
