Norwegian journalist Helle Lengh says her Indian visa was cancelled minutes before her flight

Norwegian journalist Helle Lengh has claimed that her Indian visa was cancelled at the last moment. She had drawn attention a few months ago for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She had been invited to the India Summit, led by the Congress, in Hyderabad. She says that a few minutes before she was to leave for India, the Indian embassy in Norway called to tell her she would not be able to travel.

Lengh made her case in a post and a video message on the social media platform X. She had been invited to the India Summit in Hyderabad, where she was to speak on issues such as media freedom, journalism and the future of democracy.

According to Lengh, she had already received the visa and the required political clearance to travel to India. All preparations for the trip were complete. About 10 minutes before she was to leave for the airport, the embassy called. She claims she was told on the phone that her visa had been cancelled on the orders of the Home Ministry.

Lengh has said there could be a political reason behind it. She suspects the decision may be linked to the questions she asked during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Oslo, Norway, in May 2026. She also says she criticised Modi and his government in her articles in a Norwegian newspaper and in her social media posts. She fears that this journalism and criticism of the government may be the reason for the cancellation. These allegations have not been officially confirmed so far.

In her video, Lengh appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to reconsider the decision to cancel the visa. She said her speech at the summit is scheduled within the next 48 hours. If permitted, she said, she is ready to fly to Hyderabad on the next available flight.

Her claim has set off discussion. However, there has been no official response so far from the Union Home Ministry or the Ministry of External Affairs. The exact reason for the cancellation will therefore become clear only after the government's official position emerges.

The India Summit, organised by the Congress, is being held in Hyderabad on November 13 and 14. It is being held for the second year in a row, and delegates from across the world will take part. The event is being led by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Salman Khurshid, head of the Congress's foreign affairs department.

According to the organisers, more than 1,000 delegates from over 70 countries have confirmed they will attend. They include elected representatives, policymakers, thinkers and experts from various fields. The summit will discuss subjects such as democracy, international relations, media freedom and global politics. Attention now turns to the controversy over Lengh's visa and the Centre's stand on it.