In the picture:
From left, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Bomma Maheshkumar Goud, Congress leaders Salman Khurshid, D Sridhar Babu and Gurdeep Singh Sappal during a press conference, at AICC Office, in New Delhi, Nov. 10, 2026. Photo: Antara Baruah.
More than 100 foreign participants, including Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, were denied entry despite receiving prior clearances and visas. Sources close to the organisers have questioned the home ministry’s involvement.
New Delhi: Around 113 of the 315 speakers whom the Ministry of External Affairs cleared to attend the Congress party’s ‘Bharat Summit’, which begins in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Friday (November 13) have been denied entry into India. Sources close to the organisers of the summit told The Wire that the visas of some participants were retrospectively revoked by the Union ministry of home affairs.
Around 202 delegates to the summit, which is scheduled to take place over November 13 and 14, have made it to India so far.
Those denied permission include Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, who told The Wire earlier on Thursday that she had the requisite clearances, including political clearance and a visa to come to the event. Lyng entered the spotlight in India in May, when she had asked visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Norway whether he would “take questions from the freest press in the world.”
“This is shocking, madness,” Lyng told The Wire. “I have political clearance and a visa because of the political clearance – but it appears that the department of home affairs has decided that I am not allowed to enter [India]. I struggle to understand why the department of home affairs is relevant in my case. I was supposed to go for a conference this weekend for a few days,” she said on Thursday (November 12).
“This is egregious as the allocation and rescindment of conference visas does not typically come under the Ministry of Home Affairs,” said the person close to the event organisers, referring to a FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) prepared by the government for such events. The FAQ states that discussing South Asia, national security-related issue or Kashmir would make political clearance a pre-requisite for foreigners visiting India.
“The document clearly states this,” said the source, “We made sure that there was nothing of the sort.”
According to the FAQ, Indian missions are required to refer visa cases to the Union ministry of external affairs (MEA) or the ministry of home affairs (MHA) only in certain situations, said the source. One, if they are participants from Afghanistan, China, Sudan, Pakistan, foreigners of Pakistani origin and stateless persons. Two, if they are required to visit “restricted areas” in India, or those affected by terrorism, militancy or extremism.
The areas specified are Jammu and Kashmir and the “northeastern” states, except Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland, which are listed as permitted.
“[Only] In the above cases will the MEA examine the proposal along with the MHA and grant clearance within four weeks. Clearance will be conveyed to the missions and organisers of the conference,” says the document.
At a press conference held on Tuesday (November 10), the Congress’s foreign policy in-charge and senior leader Salman Khurshid stated that no delegates from neighboring countries are among those attending the summit.
Lyng has attributed the revocation of her visa to her question posed to Prime Minister Modi in May, as well as her criticism of the Indian government and Indian billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, who are seen as being close to him.
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India cancels visa of Norwegian journalist who questioned Modi; Editors Guild expresses concern. The visa of Norwegian freelance journalist Hell Ling was cancelled just minutes before he was set to leave for the airport to travel to India. The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has expressed deep concern over this last-minute cancellation. Ling had intended to pose questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s visit to Norway. He had also been invited to speak at an event in Hyderabad. Ling stated in a social media post that, just minutes before leaving for the airport to travel to India, he was informed by the Indian Embassy in Oslo, Norway, that he would not be granted permission to enter India. The Editors Guild has stated that the reason for this visa cancellation is unclear. In a statement posted on the social media platform ‘X’, Hel Ling mentioned that she was scheduled to speak at the ‘Bharat Summit’ in Hyderabad. Hel Ling is a recognized and respected international journalist. Her only ‘offence’ appears to be that she once asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi a question during a press conference held in Oslo in May 2026. The Editors Guild has stated that such actions reflect bureaucratic control and cause significant damage to India’s image as the world’s largest democracy. The Guild has demanded that the government disclose the reasons behind the cancellation of Hel Ling’s visa. Furthermore, the Guild has called for the decision to be rescinded and for Hel Ling to be given the opportunity to present her views to the Indian public.
During his visit to Norway last May, Modi was asked, "Will you answer questions from the world's freest press?"
This question caused a stir globally, as Narendra Modi does not typically face questions from the press in standard press conferences.
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