Norwegian Newspaper Faces Outrage Over Racist Cartoon Depicting PM Modi As Snake Charmer

Amid the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Norway, an allegedly racist cartoon published by a Norwegian newspaper depicting him as a snake charmer has gone viral on social media.

The newspaper has been accused of reinforcing Western stereotypes through the illustration. According to Hindustan Times, the cartoon was published by the daily Aftenposten along with a commentary piece just hours before Modi landed in Oslo.

The illustration published by Aftenposten featured a caricature resembling Modi holding what appeared to be a fuel-station pipe shaped like a snake. It accompanied an opinion article reportedly titled "A Clever and Slightly Annoying Man."

Netizens on X slammed the Norwegian daily over the allegedly racist portrayal of India, a country that has long been stereotyped in the West as a land of snake charmers, holy elephants and superstitions.

Earlier, a controversy had erupted after Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng questioned PM Narendra Modi over why he did not take questions from the media during a joint appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. PM Modi did not respond to the query, but the exchange later drew a sharp rebuttal from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, represented by diplomat Sibi George.

George defended India’s democratic framework and accused critics of forming opinions based on selective reports published by “ignorant NGOs” without understanding the country’s scale and complexity.

The diplomat also highlighted India’s constitutional guarantees and democratic institutions while rebutting the allegations raised during the media briefing.