‘Why Should The World Trust India?’: MEA Official’s Strong Reply To Nordic Journalists Sparks Online Debate
A tense exchange during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Europe visit has gone viral after senior Indian diplomat Sibi George firmly defended India’s democracy and constitutional values while responding to tough questions from Nordic journalists in Oslo.
The interaction took place after PM Modi’s joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. As the event concluded, journalists questioned why the Indian Prime Minister did not take questions from the media and asked whether the world should trust India on issues related to democracy, civil liberties and press freedom.
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng reportedly shouted, “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” as PM Modi exited the stage.
As the questions intensified, Sibi George stepped in and responded sharply, asking reporters not to interrupt him while he answered. The senior diplomat argued that many outsiders fail to understand the scale, diversity and complexity of India before judging the country’s democratic system.
He also criticised what he described as selective narratives based on reports from certain NGOs and defended India’s vibrant media environment, pointing out the large number of television news channels operating across multiple languages in the country.
Highlighting India’s constitutional framework, George said the nation guarantees equal rights to its citizens and has upheld democratic values since Independence. He noted that India granted voting rights to women immediately after 1947, earlier than several other countries.
The exchange quickly gained attention online, with many social media users praising the diplomat for strongly defending India during the press interaction. Clips from the briefing were widely shared across platforms, triggering debates over media freedom, democracy and international perceptions of India.
The Oslo incident came shortly after a similar exchange in The Hague, where Dutch journalists also questioned Indian officials on civil liberties and minority rights.
Alongside the political discussions, India and Norway announced deeper cooperation under a new Green Strategic Partnership focused on green hydrogen, offshore wind energy, climate action and sustainable infrastructure projects.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
