Modi avoids Norway media: How that led to storm over India’s press freedom

Key points

• India is currently ranked 157th out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index.
• A tricky encounter with a Norwegian journalist has shone a light on the reluctance of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of his government to engage directly with the media on uncomfortable issues.
• After Helle Lyng Svendsen from Norwegian daily Dagsavisen asked Modi why he wouldn’t take questions from the press, and later the same day asked a senior official of India’s Ministry of External Affairs about India’s human rights record, Modi’s response was to walk away without replying while his minister’s was to try to deflect by talking about unrelated facets of India’s past and present, and then to become visibly angry.
• India’s prime minister was in Norway on a two-day visit as part of a tour of northern Europe.
• On Monday, he met with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and, on...