Norwegian Daily Faces Massive Backlash Over Racist Cartoon Depicting PM Modi As Snake Charmer

Norwegian Daily Faces Massive Backlash Over Racist Cartoon Depicting PM Modi As Snake Charmer Published By, Last Updated: May 20, 2026, 10:07 IST A Norwegian newspaper came under fire after it published a cartoon depicting PM Narendra Modi as a snake charmer amid a row over a journalist’s question at press briefing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a press conference at the government's representative facility in Oslo, Norway. (Source: Reuters) A leading Norwegian newspaper faced massive backlash after it published a racist cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer on Wednesday. The newspaper was accused of reinforcing Western stereotypes amid a political controversy over a journalist attempting to question Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Norway. The newspaper Aftenposten, in the illustration, showed PM Modi posing as a ‘snake charmer’ with a fuel-station filling pipe as the snake. The image was used for an opinion article titled “A sneaky and slightly annoying man". The cartoon was published by the newspaper in the wake of a row over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s press briefing in Norway during which Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng publicly questioned the prime minister on why he did not take media questions. There was no indication that the Prime Minister responded or heard the remark. ‘Blatantly Racist’: PM Modi’s Cartoon Triggers Massive Outrage The cartoon sparked widespread outrage online, with many users condemning it as racist and arguing that it reinforced outdated colonial-era stereotypes that reduce India to the image of a country of “snake charmers." Norway’s biggest paper just ran a cartoon of PM Modi as a snake charmer, calling him ‘a sneaky and slightly annoying man.’This isn’t journalism. it’s colonial-era racism dressed up as commentary. They can’t stomach India’s rise, so they reach for the same tired stereotypes… — Carl Wheless (@carlwheless) May 19, 2026 “This isn’t journalism. It’s colonial-era racism dressed up as commentary. They can’t stomach India’s rise, so they reach for the same tired stereotypes their grandparents used. The mask slips every time," wrote a user on X. The people also criticised the newspaper and argued that the image was xenophobic and disrespectful to India as well as the country’s elected leader. “This cartoon is blatantly racist," said a user on X, adding, “What also stands out is the irony. PM Modi used to speak about how earlier the world thought of India as a ‘land of snake charmers’. And now, during his visit to Oslo, a major European newspaper depicts him exactly that way". Also Read: ‘Hope It Will Be Restored’: Norwegian Journalist Claims Her Instagram, Facebook Accounts Suspended “Europeans still can’t come out of their colonial fantasies, sigh", wrote another user who goes by the name Prady. Several other netizens also sharply criticised the newspaper, echoing the view that “colonial arrogance still survives in the Western elite media". A similar controversy surfaced in 2022 after a Spanish newspaper invoked “snake charmer" imagery while reporting on India’s growing economic influence, drawing criticism for recycling dated stereotypes associated with the country. PM Modi himself has previously spoken about such perceptions on global platforms. During his 2014 address at Madison Square Garden in the US, he remarked that India had transformed from being viewed internationally as a nation of “snake charmers" to one known for its technological prowess and “mouse charmers" in the digital age. He has echoed similar remarks at several international events since then. What Happened At PM Modi’s Norway Briefing? The row erupted after Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng tried to pose a question to PM Modi during a joint media appearance alongside Norway’s prime minister. As Modi exited the venue, she called out, “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?" Though there was no indication that the Prime Minister responded or heard the remark, clips of the moment rapidly spread. MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George firmly pushed back against criticism of India, defending the country’s democratic institutions, constitutional values and human rights record during the interaction. Also Read: Who Is Helle Lyng? Norwegian Journalist Who Questioned PM Modi At Oslo Joint Presser “You know how many stories are up here (in India). We have a lot of breaking news coming every day in the evening. At least 200 TV channels in Delhi alone, in English, Hindi and multiple languages. People have no understanding of the scale of India," he said. Rejecting concerns surrounding press freedom and human rights in India, George argued that many international critics form opinions based on selective accounts and reports produced by what he described as “ignorant NGOs" that fail to grasp India’s complexity and diversity. “They (India’s critics) read one or two news reports published by some godforsaken, ignorant NGOs and then come