Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has come out guns blazing against India’s decision to temporarily ban the messaging app ahead of the NEET UG 2026 re-examination, calling the move counterproductive and deeply unjust to millions of ordinary users.
What Triggered The Ban
The 2026 NEET controversy erupted after the examination held on May 3, 2026, for over 2.27 million aspirants was cancelled on May 12 following investigations that revealed overlaps between a pre-circulated guess paper and the actual question paper. The government temporarily banned Telegram in India until June 22, with the National Testing Agency recommending the move and MeitY enforcing it under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, after several Telegram channels were found allegedly selling exam papers, charging candidates from a few thousand rupees to several lakhs.
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Durov’s Explosive Counter
Hitting back sharply on X, Durov said the decision to ban Telegram punishes over 150 million users of the app in India and not the insiders who leaked the exam materials, stating bluntly: “Banning it, even temporarily, is a mistake.”
His most damaging line, however, cut to the heart of the government’s logic:
“This punishes 150M+ ordinary Telegram users in India — not the insiders who leaked the exam materials. And the ban hasn’t stopped anything. The leaks just moved to other apps.”
Reliance And WhatsApp In The Crosshairs
Durov did not stop there. He made serious allegations against Reliance, claiming the telecom operator is using a technique called BGP hijacking to sabotage access to Telegram for users outside India, including in the UAE, and accused Reliance of ignoring multiple reports flagging the issue.
The Supreme Court had previously noted during the 2024 NEET paper leak row that if paper leaks take place through Telegram, WhatsApp, and electronic means, they spread like wildfire.
Durov’s point that banning one platform merely displaces the problem rather than eliminating it is now being proven correct in real time.
