Norwegian “journalist” Helle Lyng's video of brusquely asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take questions “from the freest press in the world” as he exited a joint event with Norway PM on Monday led to a chain of reactions, including a sharp rebuttal by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over queries raised on “trust” and a series of online statements by the scribe — which paused with her latest update that her WhatsApp as well as Facebook accounts have been suspended.Helle Lyng, a Norwegian journalist, shared a video of PM Modi exiting a press event in Norway and being asked by her about not taking questions (X/@HelleLyngSvends and MEA)It all began at a joint press statement event of PM Modi and his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Støre in Norway's Oslo on Monday.A video of PM Modi was shared by Lyng, who identifies herself as a journalist of Norwegian newspaper Dagsavisen, in which a woman's voice can be heard asking the prime minister why doesn't he take questions from the “world's freest press”."Prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, would not take my question, I was not expecting him to,” she said in the post, sharing the video. “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 with,” the journalist wrote with the video.Journalist says Insta, FB suspendedAfter a day full of reactions and statements over her video of PM Modi, Helle Lyng posted on her X handle that she cannot be reached on Instagram or Facebook because her accounts on both social media portals have been suspended.“If you’re trying to reach me on Instagram or Facebook, I would like to let you know I have been suspended from both accounts. I have wanted to respond to as many Indians as possible, but my responses will now be delayed. I hope I will get my accounts back,” Lyng said on X.The reason for her the suspension of her Meta accounts was not known, however, she cryptically cited it as a “small prize to pay for press freedom”.“Throughout all day I have struggled to log onto my Instagram account. Now I have been suspended. It is a small prize to pay for press freedom, but I’ve never experienced it before,” she said in another post on X.A screenshot of her Instagram account after suspension carried a message in Norwegian, which loosely translated to: We have suspended your account, Hellelyng. 180 days left to appeal the decision, otherwise your account will be permanently deactivated. Suspended on 19 May 2026What does this mean? Your account is not visible to others on Instagram at the moment, and you cannot use it.What you can do - You have 180 days left to appeal our decision.We may need to ask you for some information that will help us review your account again.You can access a copy of what you have shared on Instagram. Download a copy.Lyng's faceoff with MEAThe journalist's post of PM Modi exiting the press briefing — which sparked varying reactions — also spilled into an MEA presser on the prime minister's visit later, where Indian officials faced questions over “trust” and "human rights" from her and gave a detailed response.“Why should we trust you,” Lyng asked in the MEA press briefing, adding that "can you promise you will stop the human rights violation that goes on in your country".She also asked if the prime minister "will start takin g critical questions from the Indian press."In response, MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George gave a lowdown of "what India is".While the journalist sought a “straight answer”, Sibi George gave a detailed response of several minutes about India's history and Constitution, also saying, “We hear a lot of people asking ‘why this, why that’, but let me tell you this: We are one sixth of the total population of the world, but not one sixth of the problems of the world. We have a constitution which guarantees the fundamental rights of the people.""If anyone whose rights are violated, they have the right to go to court. We are proud to be a democracy,” Sibi George said, concluding his response.Lyng's first post on PM Modi not taking questions was also followed by a series of posts in one of which she clarified that she is “not a spy”.“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,” she said.In a separate post, Lyng said journalism is “sometimes confrontational”.“We seek answers. If any interview subject, especially with power, do not answer what I asked, I will try to interrupt and get a more focused response. That is my job & duty. I want answers and not just talking points,” she said.