New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government’s attitude towards the press was once again foregrounded during his Europe trip on Monday (May 18), when he was asked by a Norwegian journalist as to whether he would take questions from the media but walked away without doing so.Immediately after Modi and his Norwegian opposite number Jonas Gahr Store finished their joint press statement in Oslo, Helle Lyng, a commentator with the Dagsavisen newspaper, cried out: “Prime Minister Modi, why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?”Primeminister 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… pic.twitter.com/vZHYZnAvev— Helle Lyng (@HelleLyngSvends) May 18, 2026Modi, who in his remarks had touted India as the world’s largest democracy, walked away with Store who, according to The Hindu‘s Suhasini Haidar, returned to give interviews to mediapersons.Lyng said she did not expect Modi – who has only twice taken questions from journalists in open press conferences in his decade-long tenure as prime minister, both abroad – to hear her question.“It is our job to question the powers we cooperate with,” she wrote on X, noting that while Norway stands first on Reporters Without Borders’ global Press Freedom Index, India is 157th of 180 countries ranked.She also wrote that she attempted to ask Modi a question as he entered into an elevator but that the doors shut before she could finish. “What I was wondering,” Lyng wrote next to a video of her trying to approach the Indian PM, “was whether he thinks he deserves the trust of the Nordic countries given his human rights violations and his restrictions on press freedom”.Later on Monday evening, the Indian embassy in Oslo tagged Lyng on X and said she could come to its press briefing on Modi’s visit scheduled for 9:30 pm local time. She uploaded a photograph on her account indicating she had gone to the venue to attend the presser.At the presser, Lyng requested MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George to respond to her question immediately so that she could ask him follow-up questions. George refused, took another question, and eventually came to Lyng who had asked:“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?”George cited the Modi government’s handling of the COVID crisis, the fact that India exported vaccines and exports medicines, and that India is where yoga originated as examples of why India should be trusted. As Lyng attempted to ask him more, George refused to pause to allow her question to be heard.Lyng later wrote on X:“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 during Covid & also yoga, among other things. My colleague has the videos so I will try to publish tomorrow.”Later, ostensibly in the face of government supporters’ trolling and accusations, 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.”Later, to an endorsement by leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Lyng asked him for an interview as well.Earlier, the Modi government’s relationship with the media entered the spotlight when Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten told reporters ahead of his dinner with the Indian PM that his and other European countries’ governments harboured concern over press freedom under Modi in addition to human rights among minorities and the rule of law.Asked about Jetten’s remarks by a local reporter at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s press briefing later on Saturday, secretary (west) Sibi George chalked up such questions to “the lack of understanding of the person” asking.However when another journalist followed up to note that the questioner was citing Jetten himself and if George was saying the Dutch premier ought to have a better understanding, the diplomat claimed he had not seen Jetten’s remarks.“I haven’t seen that statement. I am referring to the question which, you know, about that topic which was raised about the freedom and I think I have clarified how beautiful a country India is. Thank you,” said George.After the last time Modi took a journalist’s question at an open press conference – in 2023 with then-US President Joe Biden in Washington – which was about minority rights and freedom of speech under his government, the reporter, Sabrina Siddique of the Wall Street Journal, was targeted with intense online harassment and attacks by Hindutva politicians and supporters.Note: This article has been updated with more information.