“It is a small prize to pay for press freedom, but I’ve never experienced it before,” wrote Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng on X while posting the screenshot of her Instagram account’s suspension notice on May 19.
No explanation from Meta: “Would someone explain to how I got suspended of Instagram and Facebook? I am trying to understand if It was because of the two-step verification being misused by others than me or if there was something else. Also does anyone have advice on how I can secure my accounts if I get it back?” she asked on X. However, we couldn’t locate the URL of her Facebook account.
While the exact reasons for Lyng’s account suspension remain unclear, this reflects a broader pattern of censorship that India has increasingly witnessed at both the central and state levels. A detailed compilation of recent censorship incidents is included at the end of this article.
What Happened?
- Modi doesn’t address the journalist’s questions: On May 18, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi did not take any questions during the joint appearance with Norway’s PM Jonas Gahr Støre.
- Lyng posts viral video of Modi walking away: Sharing the video of PM Modi walking away, she wrote:
- “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 with.”
- Indian Embassy says MEA will hold a press briefing: On the same day, replying to Lyng’s post, the Indian Embassy in Norway said it would organise a press briefing on the PM’s visit later that evening.
What happened at MEA’s press conference: Helle Lyng asked the following questions: “As we strengthen our partnership, why should we trust you? Can you promise that you will try to stop the human rights violations that go on in your country? And also, will the prime minister start taking critical questions from the Indian press at some point in the future? If possible, I would like you to answer straight away.”
Sibi George, Secretary (West) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), did not directly address either question. Instead, he spoke at length about issues unrelated to the journalist’s queries.
When the journalist urged the spokesperson to address the specific questions, George responded: “No. When to answer, where to answer, and how to answer are my prerogatives. You asked a question; don’t tell me how to answer it. Let me answer.”
He still did not directly address the questions.
The Norwegian journalist appeared to leave the press conference midway as the MEA spokesperson continued avoiding direct answers, and later she rejoined the press briefing.
Points cited by the MEA spokesperson on why…
Source link
Disclaimer
We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We blogs.grocliq.com want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.
Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at [email protected]
