Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov has strongly criticised the Indian government's decision to suspend access to the messaging platform until June 22, arguing that the move unfairly affects more than 150 million Indian users who have no connection with the alleged NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
The temporary restriction was imposed ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. Authorities believe Telegram channels were used to circulate leaked examination materials and spread misinformation related to the medical entrance test.
In a post on social media platform X, Durov said the ban targets ordinary users rather than those responsible for leaking confidential examination content.
“India's IT ministry banned Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. This punishes 150 million-plus ordinary Telegram users in India, not the insiders who leaked the exam materials,” Durov said.
He further argued that restricting access to Telegram would not stop the spread of leaked content, as such activities would simply shift to other digital platforms.
Telegram, he said, had already taken action against channels linked to examination leaks and related scams. According to Durov, hundreds of such channels have been removed in recent weeks as part of the company's efforts to curb misuse of the platform.
The company is also working on measures to strengthen transparency around edited messages. Durov said Telegram plans to make the “edited” label more visible to users to prevent misuse of the feature for backdating messages or creating misleading evidence.
“Telegram is a force for good. Banning it, even temporarily, is a mistake,” he said.
The Centre ordered the temporary suspension of Telegram services following recommendations from the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the NEET examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses.
The decision comes after allegations that question papers from the May 3 NEET-UG examination were leaked, forcing authorities to conduct a fresh test on June 21.
Apart from restricting access to the platform, the government has reportedly directed Telegram to disable its message-editing feature in India until June 30. Investigators believe edited messages may have been used to create false timelines and misleading evidence relating to the alleged paper leak.
Google has already removed Telegram from its app marketplace in India, while similar action from Apple is expected.
The government's move has drawn criticism from several digital policy experts and civil society groups, who argue that blocking an entire platform to tackle examination malpractice disproportionately affects millions of law-abiding users.
In a separate post, Durov levelled allegations against Reliance, claiming the telecom giant had disrupted Telegram's internet connectivity in several countries outside India through a technique known as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) hijacking.
He alleged that the disruptions affected users in regions including the United Arab Emirates and suggested that the issue could be linked to competition in the messaging services market. Durov also pointed to Reliance's business relationship with Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp.
